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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26628496">This Stupid Jacket</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/badel811/pseuds/badel811'>badel811</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Airplanes, Eren's Parents are the Worst, Everyone Is Gay, Everyone is sad but then they aren't, Good Sibling Zeke (Shingeki no Kyojin), M/M, Pilots, Polyamory, Sad Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Who's flying this plane?</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 07:15:21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>21,649</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26628496</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/badel811/pseuds/badel811</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>By a twist of fate, Eren Yeager becomes a national hero and earns himself a second chance to move past the sins of his parents and become an airline pilot like he always wanted. His good fortune continues when his old friend Armin is swept back into his life, and he realizes what he had been missing all this time.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the same fates that had rewarded Eren had cursed Levi. His loving husband was dead, and with him went all his hopes for the future. After a long time of just drifting his way aimlessly through life, he comes across Eren and Armin by chance, causing him to wonder if the only possible way to replace one husband is with two boyfriends....</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Armin Arlert/Eren Yeager, Armin Arlert/Levi, Armin Arlert/Levi/Eren Yeager, Levi/Eren Yeager, Levi/Erwin Smith</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>94</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Attention all passengers in Gate B7, we are sorry to have to tell you that departure for Texas National Airlines Flight 845 has been delayed due to a mechanical issue on our aircraft. We are working to repair the issue as soon as possible and hope to have you off the ground here shortly."</p>
<p>There was a collective groan around the passenger waiting area. Sitting alone in the corner, Eren watched the poor gate agent get bombarded by angry passengers worried about missing their connecting flights. He himself wasn't too stressed by this turn of events. In fact, he thought about just leaving the airport and going home. But, he talked himself out of it, figuring that he at least owed it to his brother to be there for his mother's funeral. And his friend Mikasa would be there, so that'd be nice.</p>
<p>He pulled up a picture on his phone and looked at it sadly. There were both of his parents, smiling happily, and his brother Zeke, and Eren. They were at the beach, it must have been ten years ago now.</p>
<p>It was important to him because it was the last happy memory he had of the four of them together.</p>
<p>"Excuse me, do you mind if I sit here?"</p>
<p>Startled, Eren looked up from his phone, standing in front of him was a tall man in an airline pilot's uniform. The four bars of a captain were on his shoulder boards. </p>
<p>"Of course, Captain...." Eren looked at his nametag, "Smith, please be my guest."</p>
<p>"Thank you," said the captain, sitting next to him. "My name is Erwin though, I'm only Captain Smith when I'm sitting on the flight deck."</p>
<p>Eren was baffled as to why this guy was talking to him, but internally shrugged and decided to go with it.</p>
<p>"I'm Eren."</p>
<p>"I like your wings," said Erwin, nodding at his jacket. "Are you a pilot?"</p>
<p>Eren looked down and realized what he was wearing. He'd forgotten about the stupid aviator jacket with the wings pinned on, it had been a gift from Mikasa when he'd gotten his private pilot's license, his "wings."</p>
<p>"Oh, I didn't realize I was wearing this," Eren said honestly, "I must look silly to you, huh?"</p>
<p>Erwin shook his head. "Not unless you're just pretending to be a pilot to pick up women, no."</p>
<p>Eren laughed, in a hollow sort of way. "Well, I'm not pretending. Even if I was, I wouldn't be looking to pick up women, you know what I mean?"</p>
<p>"I know exactly what you mean. Women are scary, and guys are much more fun anyway. That's what my husband always says."</p>
<p>Eren spotted the wedding ring on Erwin's finger. </p>
<p>"Is that why you came over here? To flirt with me, then?"</p>
<p>It wasn't that Eren was offended by the idea, it was just the way he was, he liked people to be upfront about what they wanted from him, no bullshit. It was easier that way.</p>
<p>Erwin just laughed. "You remind me of Levi. You're very direct. Actually, I came over here because my first officer is a stick in the mud and I wanted to get away from him. So I saw your jacket and figured you might be alright to talk to, especially if you turned out to actually be a pilot."</p>
<p>Eren spotted the first officer, leaning against the wall by the bathrooms, with his arms folded.</p>
<p>"Why does he look so pissed off?" Eren said.</p>
<p>"He's been like that since we got up here. I've never flown with him before, but he doesn't strike me as the patient type."</p>
<p>They were quiet for a few seconds. Then Erwin spoke again.</p>
<p>"You never told me, you know."</p>
<p>"Told you what?"</p>
<p>"Whether you were a pilot."</p>
<p>"I'm pretty sure I did."</p>
<p>"Well then I apologize, I didn't hear you."</p>
<p>Eren rolled his eyes. "Yes, Captain, I'm a pilot. Would you like to see my license?"</p>
<p>Erwin laughed. "You make it sound like I pulled you over for speeding. So what do you fly?"</p>
<p>"I learned how to fly on a Cessna, like everyone else. Most of my hours though are in a Beech G58."</p>
<p>"The G58 is a good little plane. I love the avionics suite it has."</p>
<p>"Yeah, I got my instrument rating in that."</p>
<p>"Really? Good for you. Are you doing anything with it?"</p>
<p>Eren knew that meant "Are you working towards a career in aviation?" He looked at his shoes and said. "No, unfortunately."</p>
<p>"...May I ask why not? You seem passionate enough about it, and they don't give out instrument ratings to just anyone."</p>
<p>Eren sighed. On the one hand, he didn't really want to unload his personal troubles on this perfect stranger. On the other, its not like he'd ever see this man again. What harm would it do?</p>
<p>"I don't think I'd ever get clearance from the FAA for a commercial license. Because of who I am."</p>
<p>"Who you are?" Erwin questioned.</p>
<p>"Yeah. My name is Eren Yeager. My father was Grisha Yeager."</p>
<p>Erwin's eyes widened in recognition. "The man who..."</p>
<p>"Tried to assassinate the President, yes."</p>
<p>Erwin let out a breath.</p>
<p>"I don't understand why they'd punish you for that, though. It wasn't like you shot the President, you were a child."</p>
<p>Eren laughed, a bitter, cynical laugh honed by years of experience.</p>
<p>"Could you imagine trying to get a job with my family history? Not only was my dad a killer, but my mom publicly defended him, went on talk shows and podcasts to talk about how her husband had been framed and it was all a big conspiracy, that my father DIDN'T ruin all of our lives with what he did. Then she drank herself to death and left me and my brother to clean up her mess."</p>
<p>"I'm sorry, when did she pass?"</p>
<p>"Three days ago."</p>
<p>Erwin looked at him in sympathy. Eren continued. "That's why I'm flying to San Antonio, for the funeral. After that I'll probably move again, I think I've worn out my welcome in Chicago."</p>
<p>Erwin was looking at him very strangely. Eren figured he was about to get up and leave, but what he said next surprised him.</p>
<p>"Eren, do you want to be a pilot?"</p>
<p>Eren looked at him, eyes wide.</p>
<p>"I'm not asking if you think you're able to become one, I'm asking if, in a perfect world, that's what you'd want to do. Do you want to fly the big jets like I do? Is that your life's ambition?"</p>
<p>Eren swallowed, then answered. "Yes."</p>
<p>"Then you should go for it. I can help you. I know a lot of people, I could get you a job in aviation."</p>
<p>"I couldn't ask you to risk your career for me, Erwin."</p>
<p>"Hey, you see this?" Erwin tapped the wings on his chest. "Or these?" He tugged at the stripes on his sleeve. "I didn't get them by worrying about whether people liked me, or kissing ass. I got them because I'm damn good at my job, and in this industry, that matters more than anything else. I don't think your father ruined your life, you're still a young man with a lot to offer the world, and I think I can help, but only if you want it."</p>
<p>Eren continued to look skeptical. After all, he knew that prejudice ran deep, despite Erwin's pretty words. </p>
<p>"Look," Erwin said, reaching into his pocket. "Take this, it's got my phone number on it. If, in a few days, after you attend to your mother's affairs, you decide you want my help, call me. If not, no pressure. But promise me you'll think about it, okay?"</p>
<p>Eren took the card, and put it in his pocket.</p>
<p>"You know," he said, smiling a little. "For someone that claims to not be flirting with me, you literally just gave me your number and have been complimenting me since you sat down."</p>
<p>Erwin chuckled. "You seem like a sweet guy, Eren, but you'd have to meet Levi's standards first. And he's notoriously picky."</p>
<p>The irritated looking first officer was now walking over to them.</p>
<p>"They're ready for us, Captain," he said.</p>
<p>"Be right there, Kirstein."</p>
<p>The FO walked away.</p>
<p>"It was nice talking with you, Eren. If it were before 9/11, I'd invite you at some point to come sit up on the flight deck with us and talk, but you know how it is."</p>
<p>"That's okay. It was nice talking with you too."</p>
<p>"Enjoy the flight!"</p>
<p>And then he was gone, disappearing down the jetway towards the waiting Airbus.</p>
<p>Eren was still half convinced that Erwin was only so nice to him because he wanted to get into his pants. And if he was being honest with himself, at this point, if Erwin asked him, he'd probably say yes.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>An hour out of Chicago, the Airbus was at cruising altitude. This was the most relaxed part of the flight, the autopilot kept the plane straight and level, and all the pilots had to do was monitor the instruments and communicate with air traffic control. Jean Kirstein, the first officer, had needed to go to the bathroom, so following company protocol, Erwin had asked lead flight attendant Petra Ral to come onto the flight deck while Jean was gone, so that no one pilot would be left alone at the controls. </p>
<p>"I met a most interesting man while I was waiting for them to fix the circuit breaker for the CVR," Erwin said, to make conversation.</p>
<p>"Oh?"</p>
<p>"Yeah, he was wearing an aviator jacket. Turns out he's a general aviation pilot. He wants to go commercial but doesn't think he'd be able to because his....family situation is complicated. I tried to encourage him to go anyway."</p>
<p>"I saw him back in Coach, he gave me a real smile when I gave him a soda, not that fake one you get from customers. He's cute!"</p>
<p>Erwin grunted noncommitally.</p>
<p>"Oh come on, Captain, I know that look! You're smitten!" Petra teased him.</p>
<p>"Please, Petra, he's half my age."</p>
<p>She just laughed. "He's still an adult, Erwin."</p>
<p>"Besides," Erwin said, ignoring her, "I wouldn't want to introduce him to Levi anyway. They'd either hate each other or they'd get along so well they'd run off together."</p>
<p>She could tell he was teasing, so she just said, "So are you going to see this cute little pilot again?"</p>
<p>Erwin sighed. "Honestly, that's up to him. I gave him my card if he decided he wants to try to be a pilot, I said I'd help him. Honestly Petra, he just looked so...sad. Like a puppy who'd been kicked so often he was resigned to it. He's going home to bury his mother."</p>
<p>"Aww, that's rough. Well, I hope you do see him again."</p>
<p>Jean came back into the cockpit then, so Petra said "I'll leave you to it, boys, I'm off to try to sell more alcohol to the thirsty Texans back here."</p>
<p>Erwin chuckled as she left. </p>
<p>"Everything alright, Kirstein?"</p>
<p>"Fine, Captain," Jean replied. But his voice sounded off, like it was detached. Something about it put Erwin's nerves on edge. Like a gut feeling something was wrong. Then he heard a soft clicking noise, one he was familiar with as his father had been a police officer. He twisted around in his seat and saw, to his horror, that Jean was pointing a pistol at him. </p>
<p>He reacted without thinking, grabbing Jean's gun arm and forcing it upwards, away from him. The gun fired, the sound impossibly loud in the small space, the bullet punching a hole in the roof of the fuselage. The pressurized air in the cockpit whistled out of the hole. Meanwhile, Erwin was still grappling with Jean, using his left hand to undo his seatbelt so that he could turn around fully, but Jean had smacked him with the butt of the gun to try and force his hands away. The gun fired again, hitting the windshield and putting a bullet hole in it. An alarm was sounding now, and the plane's nose dipped suddenly, causing Jean to stumble forward into Erwin. A third shot buried itself into the captain's seat cushion.</p>
<p>"Jean, why are you doing this?!" Erwin shouted. Jean's eyes looked manic. </p>
<p>"They were going to take my wings away, Captain! Unfit to fly, they told me! They think I'm crazy! I'll SHOW them crazy!"</p>
<p>******</p>
<p>In first class, Federal Air Marshal Gunther Schultz heard the first bang from the cockpit, which immediately attracted his attention. It sounded like a gunshot, but it could just as easily have been something else. He decided to get out of his seat and act like he was going to the bathroom, which would take him closer to the cockpit and allow him to investigate further without blowing his cover.<br/>Just as he stepped into the aisle, there was a second bang, and the aircraft suddenly pitched forward. He rushed up to the door to the cockpit, now sure it was gunfire. He heard a third bang as he got there, and yelling. </p>
<p>"Federal Air Marshal! Open the door now!" he yelled, drawing his gun from the holster under his shirt. His heart was racing as he was terrified the plane was about to nosedive into the ground, killing him and everyone else on board.</p>
<p>******</p>
<p>As he struggled with Jean, Erwin heard the Air Marshal yelling. He knew that he had to get the door open before Jean could get the upper hand on him. If he didn't get anybody else in here and Jean killed him, there would be no way to stop him from crashing the plane, which is what he obviously intended to do. The switch to open the door was on the left side of his seat, above the control column.</p>
<p>He was too far away to reach it where he was standing, grappling with his deranged first officer.</p>
<p>Erwin knew what he had to do, and knew what it was going to cost him. He thought of Petra, of those kids he saw get on the plane, of Eren, of the hundred other people on board, relying on him to keep them safe. </p>
<p>I'm sorry Levi, he thought. Then he headbutted Jean and shoved him back away from him suddenly, turning and diving for the switch. The shot came just as he hit it, striking him in the back. He groaned and collapsed into his seat.</p>
<p>******</p>
<p>The door clicked open and Gunther kicked it with his foot, swinging it open. He saw the First Officer pointing a gun at the captain, who looked like he was wounded. </p>
<p>"Put the gun down, NOW!" he shouted.</p>
<p>Jean whirled around and fired at the Air Marshal, hitting the door. Gunther didn't hesitate, and fired three times, hitting Jean in the chest. He crumpled to the floor. Gunther advanced into the cockpit, now hearing screams and shouts behind him. He kicked the gun away from the first officer and felt for a pulse. He was dead. </p>
<p>He went to the Captain, who looked at him with half lidded eyes.</p>
<p>"Are you alright sir?" Gunther asked. Erwin shook his head. "He got me in the back. He was going to kill me and crash the plane."</p>
<p>"We have to land, now."</p>
<p>Erwin nodded. "Put the oxygen mask on me so I don't pass out. Put the spare one on yourself. We've got depressurization."</p>
<p>That done, Gunther asked Erwin if he was going to be able to land the plane. </p>
<p>"I don't think so, I...can't feel my arms or legs. I can't move them."</p>
<p>Gunther swore. "What are we going to do, sir?"</p>
<p>"Get Petra, the flight attendant, up here please. The code to get the door open is 672188."</p>
<p>Gunther nodded. When he left the cockpit, he found Petra hurrying down the aisle towards him. He holstered his gun and pulled his Air Marshal identification out, slipping it over the pocket of his shirt. He had to do it to make sure nobody mistook him for a hijacker.</p>
<p>Petra saw the identification, her face grave. "What's happened?"</p>
<p>"There's been an attempted takeover. The first officer is dead and the Captain is wounded. He asked for you to go in there."</p>
<p>Petra's face paled but she nodded and slipped past him to the cockpit. Gunther told her the code, and looked around the plane to see terrified faces looking back at him. The emergency oxygen masks were hanging from the ceiling, and the passengers had mostly put them on. </p>
<p>"I'm here Captain!" Petra said as she entered the cockpit. She was horrified by the carnage inside. Her friend, who had been joking with her not ten minutes ago, was now ashen faced, a dark stain seeping along his seat and his shirt. </p>
<p>"Petra," he gasped out, trying to turn to look at her, but unable to go very far. "That boy we were talking about. The pilot. I need you to bring him in here, right now. I'm going to need help landing this plane."</p>
<p>******</p>
<p>It had all happened so fast. The first pop had been loud enough to be heard over his earphones, like the sound of a balloon being popped with a pin. He had slid his earphones down when he heard another pop, and the plane suddenly lurched down, causing a commotion in the cabin. Eren knew they were at cruising altitude and that this wasn't normal. His heart leapt into his throat when the emergency oxygen masks had deployed. The flight attendants immediately sprung into action, going up and down the aisles, shouting "Everyone, sit down in the nearest seat with your seatbelt fastened. Put the oxygen mask over your face and adjust the rubber band!"</p>
<p>Eren had done so, and now was trying to gauge what was happening based on what he saw and felt. More pops were going off at the front of the plane. He couldn't see anything wrong on the left wing, there was no smoke or fire coming out of the left engine, and both engines appeared to still be operating normally. The descent was steep but not out of control, only a little steeper than the normal rate of descent. Eren realized that the masks meant there was a pressurization problem, and that they were descending to an altitude where the passengers would be able to breathe without supplemental oxygen. </p>
<p>He saw one of the flight attendants coming up the aisle, using the seat backs as handholds. It was the one who had given the preflight safety briefing. Petra, he thought her name was. She locked eyes with him, and it was weird, but it was like she was coming directly for him. To his surprise, she stopped at his seat. </p>
<p>"Excuse me sir, can you come up to the front with me, please?" Eren was thoroughly confused. He pointed to himself with his eyebrows raised, and she nodded. Without even thinking about it, he undid his seatbelt, slid the oxygen mask off, and got up, following her back towards the front of the plane. </p>
<p>There was an acrid smell in the first class area, like firecrackers had gone off....or a gun had been fired. She led him past a curtain that had been slid across the entrance to the galley, and held his arm up to stop him. </p>
<p>"Put this on," she said, handing him a portable oxygen kit. After he did so, she said, "You're Eren right?"</p>
<p>He nodded.</p>
<p>"I'm taking you into the cockpit, and I need to prepare you for what you're going to see in there," she said gravely. Eren's eyes widened.</p>
<p>"The first officer tried to takeover the plane with a gun. He shot Captain Smith and then the Air Marshal shot him dead. Captain Smith is wounded. The Captain specifically asked for you to help him with the plane."</p>
<p>"What?!" Eren said, starting to freak out. "I'm not a commercial pilot! I've never flown anything this big before!"</p>
<p>"I know," she said. "But there isn't anyone else, Eren. The captain is still in command of this plane, and he has asked for you, so you're going to go in there and do exactly what he tells you to do, understand?"</p>
<p>Eren nodded, trying to keep himself from throwing up inside his oxygen mask. Petra led him towards the cockpit, punching in a code on the door and opening it. The acrid smell was worse in here, almost making Eren gag. There was a man in civilian clothes standing behind the captain's seat, fastening a tourniquet in place onto a man he recognized from behind as Captain Smith. </p>
<p>"I've brought Eren, Captain!" Petra called out, loudly over the sound of the alarms and the rushing of air out of what Eren now saw were two bullet holes, one in the roof, one in the windshield.</p>
<p>"Eren?" Erwin called out, his voice faint. Eren winced. </p>
<p>"I'm here Captain!" he said, trying to keep his voice steady. </p>
<p>"Good, sit in the right seat, please, Eren, and buckle yourself in."</p>
<p>Eren stepped forward, immediately stumbling against something on the floor. He looked down and saw the lifeless eyes of the first officer staring back at him. The urge to vomit had to be overcome yet again as he managed to step over the body and settled into the seat. </p>
<p>He looked over at Erwin, shocked by his condition. The strong, confident man he'd talked to a couple hours ago was gone, replaced by this pale, pain stricken man covered in blood. There was blood everywhere. </p>
<p>"Hit that red button to shut the alarm off," Erwin said, and Eren did. It got a lot quieter in the cockpit, which helped Eren's concentration. </p>
<p>"The autopilot is forcing us into a descent because of the depressurization," Erwin said. "I need you to set the autopilot to level us off at 14,000 feet."</p>
<p>He told Eren how, and Eren punched the right buttons. Erwin nodded.</p>
<p>"Good. Now we need to call ATC and tell them what's happened. Petra, can you put my headset back on? Eren, put yours on, it's right there."</p>
<p>The Air Marshal had retreated back to the door to the cockpit, while Petra had strapped herself into the jumpseat. She leaned forward to put Erwin's headset on. </p>
<p>"Petra, I need you to key the mic for me, alright?" She nodded and pressed the button.</p>
<p>"Mayday, mayday, mayday. This is Cowboy 845, declaring an emergency."</p>
<p>A female air traffic controller crackled to life in Eren's ears. "Cowboy 845 this is Jefferson Center, what is the nature of your emergency?"</p>
<p>"We have had an attempted takeover of the plane. Gunshots have been fired, causing a depressurization of the aircraft. We are in a rapid but controlled descent to Flight Level 140 to get breathable air in here."</p>
<p>There was a pause, Eren guessed that the controller needed to process the information and to notify her superiors.</p>
<p>"Roger 845, what is the condition of the flight crew?"</p>
<p>"The first officer is dead. Repeat, the first officer is dead. I have been seriously wounded. I am unable to move my arms or legs to control the aircraft."</p>
<p>"845, is there someone who can assist you with controlling the plane?"</p>
<p>Erwin looked over at Eren and had the nerve to crack a smile at him. </p>
<p>"I have found a general aviation pilot who was in the passenger cabin. I plan to guide him down verbally but we will need all assistance you can possibly give us."</p>
<p>"Roger 845. State your intentions."</p>
<p>"I need the nearest airport with full emergency services and the longest possible runway."</p>
<p>"Roger 845 stand by."</p>
<p>Erwin turned to Eren. "Alright Eren, here's what we're going to do. We're going to get vectors for the airport we're going to land at, and we're going to do a couple of circles around the field to burn off extra fuel so we're safe to land. While we're doing that, we're going to go over the flight controls and landing procedures with you, and then we're going to put this thing down, alright?"</p>
<p>Eren looked around at all the controls. There were so many displays, gauges. So many more than he was used to looking at in his little two engine prop plane. He gulped.</p>
<p>"Captain, I'm not sure I can land this plane without wrecking it."</p>
<p>Erwin looked him in the eye. "Yes you can, Eren. I know you can."</p>
<p>It occurred to Eren then that nobody had told him that they believed he could do something in a long time. He had given up on himself, and at some point, everyone else had too. And now, here was this man, who he'd only met today, who was entrusting him with the lives of everyone on board this large aircraft. It filled him with determination not to let him down. He squared his shoulders and looked around the cockpit again. When he thought about it, this wasn't THAT different from his Beechcraft. Just larger. Like if you had to drive a bus instead of a car. It was an adjustment, but it wasn't like it was a completely foreign concept.</p>
<p>"Okay, Captain. Let's do it."</p>
<p>Erwin nodded. </p>
<p>"Cowboy 845, Jefferson Center."</p>
<p>"Go ahead Center."</p>
<p>"We can give you vectors to Little Rock, it's about 100 miles away on your left."</p>
<p>"Okay, we'll take Little Rock. We want to do a couple circles away from the field so we can burn off extra fuel."</p>
<p>"Roger, 845, we'll direct you into a hold when you get to the field."</p>
<p>"We're ready for those vectors anytime, Jefferson Center."</p>
<p>"845, turn left heading 270."</p>
<p>"Turn left heading 270, Cowboy 845."</p>
<p>Erwin told Eren how to adjust the heading using the autopilot, and the plane began to bank to the left. On the way, the controller instructed them to descend to 10,000 feet, which they did.</p>
<p>"Should we tell the passengers they can take off their masks now?" Eren said.</p>
<p>Erwin nodded. "Switch me to the PA, Petra. I'll talk to the passengers."</p>
<p>"Folks, this is the captain speaking. As you can probably tell, we've had a problem up here in the cockpit. I want to let you know that the aircraft is under control and that you can remove your masks as we have descended enough to make the air safe to breathe."</p>
<p>As Erwin talked, Petra got Eren to take off his own mask and hand it to her.</p>
<p>"We are going to be making an emergency landing at Little Rock Airport within the hour. We are not expecting any serious problems to develop, but just as a precaution the flight attendants are going to ask you to get into brace positions when we land. Please remain calm, listen to the flight attendants, and know that your highly trained crew is doing everything necessary to get you on the ground safely."</p>
<p>"You didn't mention me," Eren said, as Erwin switched off the PA.</p>
<p>"The important thing right now is to prevent panic in the cabin," said Erwin. "They don't need to know what's going on up here. They can find out from the newsmedia like everyone else will."</p>
<p>Eren didn't even want to think about THAT just yet.</p>
<p>"Erwin, are you alright?"</p>
<p>"I'm not about to pass out, Eren, if that's what you're asking. Don't worry about me."</p>
<p>Erwin had Petra pull out the approach chart for Little Rock.</p>
<p>"We need to decide which runway we're going to use," Erwin said. Eren looked at the chart. He saw that 4 Left and 22 Right were the longest, but to know which one he wanted to take, he needed to know what the wind conditions were.</p>
<p>"Jefferson Center, Cowboy 845." It was the first time Eren had called ATC instead of Erwin.</p>
<p>"Go ahead 845."</p>
<p>"What are the current wind conditions at Little Rock?"</p>
<p>"Light gusts at 8 to 10 miles per hour from the southwest."</p>
<p>"Roger, we'd like to land on Runway 22 Right when it is time."</p>
<p>"Confirmed, we will guide you down to Runway 22 Right."</p>
<p>Erwin nodded. "Very good." </p>
<p>With deliberate slowness, they went over the approach checklist, beginning to prepare the plane for landing, slowing it down, deploying the flaps, and dropping the landing gear. Normally they would have been passed on to Approach Control, but Erwin had requested that Jefferson Center stay on with them until it was time to pass them on to the Tower at Little Rock.<br/>Eren was beginning to familiarize himself with the controls, but couldn't help his heart beating faster as the landing grew closer and closer. Erwin did his best to calm him down.</p>
<p>"We've got a lot of things working for us here, Eren. It's a bright sunny day, no clouds, we'll be able to see the airport and the runway a long way off. We're landing into a headwind, that will slow us down. And the plane is in perfect working order. You can do this. Trust me."</p>
<p>"I do trust you, Erwin," Eren said, his voice breaking a little. Erwin nodded.</p>
<p>"Alright then, we're going to line up and land, right now."</p>
<p>Eren gulped, but knew there was no point putting it off anymore. Eren called ATC himself. </p>
<p>"Jefferson Center, we want to begin our approach. Please give me vectors for a 20 mile final."</p>
<p>"Roger 845."</p>
<p>After she had guided them to the runway, she gave them the frequency for Little Rock Tower.</p>
<p>"Jefferson Center, who am I speaking with? What's your name?"</p>
<p>There was a pause. Eren knew that wasn't the way you were supposed to talk to Air Traffic Control, but he could very well be about to die here, and he wanted a little more human connection, he guessed.</p>
<p>"My name is Rico, 845."</p>
<p>"My name is Eren, Rico. Thank you for your help."</p>
<p>"Godspeed, Eren." Rico's voice sounded strangled.</p>
<p>"Switching to Little Rock Tower."</p>
<p>******</p>
<p>As Petra dialed in the right frequency, Eren had no way of knowing that the story of the plane in crisis had already been picked up by news stations all over the country. That they were reporting that Texas National Flight 845 was in trouble because of an attempted hijacking, that people had been shot, and that a non commercial pilot was attempting to land the plane out of necessity. He didn't know his brother Zeke was watching the television shots of Little Rock Airport, waiting for the plane to come in and wondering if he was about to watch his little brother die on live TV. That in Times Square, a growing crowd of tourists and locals were watching the drama play out on the big screen. That in the White House, President Historia Reiss had ended a Cabinet meeting when she'd been told and was watching the TV, bracing herself for a mass casualty event. Or that in Dallas, Levi Ackerman-Smith had driven out to the airport and hopped in his helicopter heading for Little Rock as soon as he'd heard where the plane was going to try to land. </p>
<p>Eren knew none of this, and even if he had, he wouldn't have cared. He had never been so focused on anything in his life. It was like everything that had happened to him, everything he had done, had led him to this moment. Playing Microsoft Flight Simulator, flying a Cessna or a Beech, studying the way aerodynamic forces worked on planes, and watching shows about the investigations of airplane crashes. </p>
<p>"Alright 845, we're going to do this nice and easy," came the smooth voice of the Tower Controller. "We're going to get it just right, and if we don't, we're going to go back around and try again, alright?"</p>
<p>"Roger Tower," replied Eren, shaking a little. Normally he wouldn't have been expected to work the radios and fly the plane at the same time, but he could tell Erwin was growing weaker, and they didn't have time to get Petra to key his mic all the time.</p>
<p>"Gunther, go sit down," Erwin said. He had Petra key the PA. "Folks we are coming in to land at Little Rock in five minutes. Flight attendants prepare the cabin for landing."</p>
<p>"I'm staying here to help you," Petra said. Eren nodded. He wouldn't have wanted her to leave anyway.</p>
<p>"845, I'm going to slow you down just a little here, you're still looking good."</p>
<p>Eren slowed the plane to the requested speed. "Roger Tower. I have the field in sight."</p>
<p>"We see you as well, 845. Looking really good there."</p>
<p>"Remember, nice and easy," Erwin said. "Don't push the controls too hard. Gentle adjustments."</p>
<p>"Tower, I need you to give him altitude and speed callouts please, I'm having trouble seeing them myself."</p>
<p>"Roger 845, Eren, you're at 2,000 feet and 140 knots. I need you to slow to 120 for me buddy."</p>
<p>"Full flaps, Eren," Erwin said. </p>
<p>Eren could see he was drifting a little to the right, so he used the rudder to yaw the plane back to the centerline. </p>
<p>"1,000 feet, keep that speed for me Eren." </p>
<p>"Tower, please have a paramedic meet us where we stop on the runway, we have to get the captain out ASAP."</p>
<p>"Roger that, are you going to be doing an emergency evacuation?" </p>
<p>"Not if the plane is in one piece," Eren said darkly.</p>
<p>"Okay Eren. Alright, 500 feet, you're almost there."</p>
<p>"Get ready to flare the nose," Erwin said. "And as soon as the wheels touch down, hit full thrust reverser and start depressing the brakes."</p>
<p>"250 feet! Speed is fine buddy, bring it home now."</p>
<p>"Bring her in Eren, you've got it."</p>
<p>"100 feet!"</p>
<p>"80!"</p>
<p>"Start flaring now Eren!"</p>
<p>"50!"</p>
<p>"BRACE, BRACE, BRACE!"</p>
<p>"20 feet!"</p>
<p>Eren held his breath and had to force himself not to close his eyes.</p>
<p>He hit harder than he wanted to, he could feel something scraping in the back, and knew what he'd done immediately: a tailstrike, when you come in at too steep of an angle and drag the tail along the runway. </p>
<p>"Please don't break off, please don't break off," he said out loud. </p>
<p>Then the wheels hit the ground. </p>
<p>"Full reverse!" Erwin shouted. Eren pulled all the way back on the throttles, triggering the reverse thrust needed to help the plane slow down. </p>
<p>"Push the nose down!" Erwin called, and Eren went forward on the stick until the nose gear hit the ground. He hit the brakes, and could hear at least two tires pop, but they were slowing down. He was now using the nose wheel steering to keep the plane in the middle of the runway. Fortunately those tires seemed to still be up. </p>
<p>"Tower, do we still have a tail?" Eren said.</p>
<p>"You sure do buddy! You did fine! Just stop it right there on the runway!"</p>
<p>Eren let out a breath, and watched as the plane slowly ground to a stop.</p>
<p>"Shut the engines off," Erwin instructed. After they had done that and started the APU, it started growing quiet in the cockpit. </p>
<p>"Petra, you need to tell everyone to stay seated until we get Erwin off the plane," Eren said. Petra nodded and left the cockpit. Eren watched the emergency vehicles get closer to them and turned to Erwin.</p>
<p>"Remember what you said before? About not being allowed to invite me up here? I guess you figured out a way to do it anyway, Captain."</p>
<p>Erwin chuckled. "Yeah. I'm really proud of you Eren. I told you that you could do it."</p>
<p>Eren let out something that was half laugh, half sob. He had so many emotions running through his mind right now. He looked at his hands, they were shaking. Just to have something to do with them, he unbuckled his seatbelt. </p>
<p>The door opened again and in came the paramedics, laying out a backboard. They pulled Erwin out of his seat and secured him, hustling him out of the plane. It was only then that Eren saw how much blood was on the seat where he had been. </p>
<p>"How is he even still conscious?" he wondered aloud. </p>
<p>For awhile, Eren couldn't make himself move, so he just sat in the chair, staring at the cockpit, at the bloodstains, at the bulletholes. He finally got up to look at the First Officer's body, still lying where they'd dragged him out of the way after the shooting. He stared at the face of a man who'd wanted to kill him, and kill everyone else on this plane. </p>
<p>"I beat you, you sonofabitch," he said to him. "I beat you."</p>
<p>Petra came back into the cockpit now. </p>
<p>"All the passengers are off. Come on Eren, I want to get you checked out."</p>
<p>"Was anyone hurt?" Eren said, anxiously.</p>
<p>Petra smiled. "None of the passengers got so much as a scratch, honey. You did it."</p>
<p>Tension Eren didn't know he felt uncoiled from him all at once, and he slumped against the bulkhead, trying to keep from collapsing. Petra grabbed onto him. </p>
<p>"It's alright Eren, come on."</p>
<p>Eren looked down and realized that at some point during the last hour, he had pissed himself, and felt ashamed but also amused at the same time, and now he was crying, leaning hard against Petra as they made their way to the airstairs. Gunther was waiting for them at the top of the stairs, he got on Eren's other side and they walked down the stairs to the milling throng of people on the tarmac. The three of them had seen hell today, and had beaten it back.</p>
<p>"Is that him?" came a shout from the crowd. People turned to look. Eren saw a boy who he vaguely remembered seeing when they boarded the plane, walk right up to him.</p>
<p>"Are you the one that landed the plane?" he asked Eren. "I saw you go up there and didn't come back."</p>
<p>Eren was going to say "I helped," but Petra said, "Yes, he landed the plane."</p>
<p>The boy smiled. "Thank you for saving me and my mommy from a plane crash."</p>
<p>Then he hugged Eren around the middle. Eren managed to hug him back gently, and another passenger took a picture of the moment with their cell phone. Within a week the image would circle the globe as it appeared on the front page of every newspaper and on Internet headlines and Facebook feeds the world over.</p>
<p>Eren was completely drained by the time he was taken to an ambulance. The only conscious thought he managed before the paramedic started looking him over was that he'd somehow gotten blood on this stupid jacket he was wearing. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Levi sat in the hospital room, staring at his husband. Or rather, what was left of him. Tubes and wires stuck out from him all over the place, his face was ashen gray, and the only sound other than the beeping of the heart monitor was his ragged breathing.</p><p>Levi was in a state of shock. He had talked to Erwin this morning, in Chicago. He had told him he had an easy flight home and that he was looking forward to getting dinner with Levi that night. It was a day off for Levi, so he planned to spend it cleaning the kitchen, something that he never seemed to have time to do because of his work schedule. Now he was in a hospital bed in fucking Little Rock, Arkansas, watching his husband fight for his life.</p><p>He was probably going to get into trouble with the FAA, for taking the helicopter without filing a flight plan first and for landing at Little Rock without explicit permission, but to be honest, Levi didn't care.</p><p>There was a knock at the door, Levi looked up and saw it was Hanji, one of their close friends.</p><p>"I got here as soon as I could," she said, sitting next to Levi. "How are you, Levi?"</p><p>Levi gestured vaguely at Erwin, unable to summon the energy to do much else.</p><p>"The doctor told me they can't try to go into surgery until the morning, that if they tried before he had a chance to stabilize it would kill him for sure. He lost so much blood. But...."</p><p>He paused, swallowing.</p><p>"But the doctor told me that I needed to be prepared for the fact that he probably wasn't going to make it through the night."</p><p>Hanji wrapped an arm around him, to steady him.</p><p>"I don't understand how this could happen!" Levi said. "How do you even GET a gun on an airplane anymore?"</p><p>"Do you want me to tell you what I've heard so far?" Hanji asked him. Levi looked at her and nodded. He HAD to know the facts, even if they hurt.</p><p>"This is early stuff, okay, so we don't KNOW for sure this is what happened," she qualified.</p><p>"Just tell me what you've heard, Hanji."</p><p>"Alright," Hanji said. "Supposedly, the First Officer went berserk and shot Erwin. There was an Air Marshal on the plane and he shot the First Officer dead."</p><p>"How?" said Levi. "The Air Marshal wouldn't have been able to get into the cockpit."</p><p>"Erwin must have gotten the door open somehow in the struggle."</p><p>"So then what? Erwin landed the plane? They told me his spinal cord was severed. Even if he lives, he'll never walk again, most likely. How would he have been able to fly the plane?"</p><p>"That's just it," Hanji said. "Erwin brought someone from the passenger cabin, a kid who'd never flown anything bigger than a Cessna, and sat him in the right seat. He's the one who landed the plane."</p><p>"What?!" Levi said.</p><p>"I didn't believe it either, but that's what happened. They brought him here to the same hospital, on the other wing. I went over there, the place is swarming with people. NTSB, FBI agents, doctors, press, I'm pretty sure I saw some union guys down there too."</p><p>Levi let out a breath. The whole thing seemed ludicrous. And it raised more questions than it answered.</p><p>"Did you manage to talk to Erwin before they put him under?"</p><p>"Yeah, for a few seconds," Levi said. "He told me that he loved me, and that....that he needed some help, but he got the plane on the ground."</p><p>Hanji chuckled. "That sounds just like Erwin."</p><p>"Yeah," said Levi, smiling. "The idiot who acts like he's a superhero."</p><p>"You know Levi, it looks like based what happened up there, Erwin is a hero."</p><p>Levi sighed. "I'd rather have a live husband than a dead hero, Hanji."</p><p>"I know, honey."</p><p>******</p><p>"Your heart rate is elevated, Mr. Yeager, but I think that's to be expected," the doctor said, as he shined a light into Eren's eyes. "Tell me, how do you feel?"</p><p>"A little dizzy," Eren admitted. </p><p>"When was the last time you had something to drink? I'm going to guess you're a little dehydrated."</p><p>That made sense. Once the adrenaline had calmed down, he discovered his clothes were soaked through with sweat. He probably smelled disgusting. </p><p>"I'll have the nurse bring you some water. Anything else?"</p><p>Eren held up his hand, which was still shaking.</p><p>"You're still a little jittery, Eren, that's okay. You just went through a very stressful experience, it'll take some time to get your adrenal glands back to normal. I'm going to give you something to help you sleep tonight, okay?"</p><p>Eren nodded. He looked over the doctor's shoulder to see a couple of police officers through the window. </p><p>"Why are the police outside?" Eren asked the doctor.</p><p>"They're here to keep prying eyes away from you. There's a lot of media people here and other curious onlookers."</p><p>Eren swore. It hadn't really occurred to him that there would be reporters here, not this quickly, anyway.</p><p>"Don't worry, you don't have to talk to them, we'll keep them away. Now, just relax there, I'll send in the nurse, and then some officials want to talk to you quickly about what happens next."</p><p>Eren nodded at the doctor as he left. He closed his eyes and tried to control his breathing. He felt...fragile, like he could break down at any moment. He kept having to reassure himself of where he was, and that he was going to be okay. </p><p>Now that he was thinking more clearly, he wanted to call his brother. He pulled out his phone and turned it on. He had three missed calls from Zeke and two from Mikasa. He would call her later.</p><p>"Eren?" Zeke answered.</p><p>"Hey Zeke."</p><p>"Oh my God, you don't know how glad I am to hear your voice, little brother. Are you okay?"</p><p>"I think so, just a little frazzled, you know."</p><p>"I can imagine! The news said someone tried to hijack your plane! I saw the landing on TV, when the tail hit the ground and those sparks flew, I was....I thought I was gonna lose you too."</p><p>"I'm still here, Zeke. You and me against the world, remember?"</p><p>"I remember, little brother. Hey...." he paused for a second. "The news said that they had to have someone who wasn't a pilot come up and land the plane....that wasn't you, was it?"</p><p>Eren didn't know how to respond to that, but he didn't have to. His silence was enough.</p><p>"Oh my God, it WAS you. Jesus Christ, Eren, YOU landed that plane?"</p><p>"I mean, I had a lot of help, but...yes."</p><p>"Mother of God, Eren," Zeke said softly. Eren braced himself for a lot of questions, but Zeke only asked one. "Were you scared?"</p><p>"I've never been more scared of anything in my life, Zeke."</p><p>Zeke didn't say anything for a few seconds.</p><p>"So what happens now? Do you want me to come up there and get you?"</p><p>"What about Mother's funeral?"</p><p>"Forget Mother's funeral!" Zeke said. "You're more important right now."</p><p>"I don't know, to be honest, what's gonna happen now. Please don't leave yet, let me find out and let you know, okay?"</p><p>"Okay, but I'm still having Mother cremated. We can inter her ashes later."</p><p>The nurse came in, followed by someone else.</p><p>"Hey, someone just walked in, I have to go, Zeke."</p><p>"Okay. Listen, I love you Eren."</p><p>"I love you too, Zeke."</p><p>Eren hung up and looked at the newcomers.</p><p>"Sorry," he said. "That was my brother."</p><p>"It's okay, Eren," the nurse said. "The doctor wanted me to give you this."</p><p>She handed him a bottle of water. </p><p>"He says you're not allowed to leave the room until you drink the whole thing," she admonished him. "We're getting your prescription filled, I'll come back when its ready."</p><p>As the nurse left, Eren took notice of the other man for the first time. He wasn't hospital staff, in fact, he was wearing an airline captain's uniform. </p><p>"Hello Eren, My name is Dhalis Zackary, I'm the President of the Air Line Pilot's Association."</p><p>"The pilot's union?" Eren questioned. "Wait, did you say the PRESIDENT?"</p><p>Zackary nodded. "I assume you're thinking 'What is he doing here?'"</p><p>Eren nodded. "I'm not in your union. I'm not even a commercial pilot."</p><p>"True. But...Eren you have to understand how unprecedented this situation is. Something like this has NEVER happened before the in the history of modern commercial aviation. After an accident or incident, it is the union's job to look after the pilots, and make sure they're being treated fairly by the investigators and the media. We want to offer you the same help we would offer you if you WERE a member of our union. You shouldn't have to go through all of this by yourself."</p><p>"Captain, I'm not sure that's a good idea, you seem like a good guy and I wouldn't want your organization to get into a lot of bad PR by helping me."</p><p>Zackary leaned against the door. "What, you mean because of your father?"</p><p>Eren gave him a surprised look.</p><p>"Yes, we already know. Before the day is over, so will the media. And you know what? I don't give a good goddamn about that, and neither will anyone else. I don't think you fully appreciate what you did here, Eren. Because of your actions, you saved the lives of over 150 people. You flew that plane better than half the line pilots out there could have, without a single day of training, and got it on the ground in one piece, and you did it almost totally by yourself. You're a hero, Eren."</p><p>Eren spluttered. "But...but...I didn't do it by myself! Erwin, er, Captain Smith, he did more to save the plane than I did! And the flight attendant, Petra! And the Air Marshal! The air traffic controllers!"</p><p>Zackary held up his hands. "I know, Eren. Please try to calm down. We're going to take care of Captain Smith too. That's our job. Petra Ral, FAM Schultz, and the air traffic controllers will be in turn taken care of by their own unions. I guarantee you that is what is happening right now. But you, Eren, you're not a part of this system. You have nobody to stand for you, to look out for your welfare and rights. You don't strike me as the kind of person that likes drawing attention to himself. But outside this door, right now, is a storm of attention that will settle on you as soon as you leave this room."</p><p>Zackary took a breath and walked over to sit down in a chair next to Eren. </p><p>"The NTSB and the FBI are going to want to talk to you, to get your initial statement. They'll probably ask you to speak at a formal inquiry several months from now. But that's just the tip of the iceberg. The media is going to want to interview you, repeatedly. They're going to want your whole life story. People will want you to ghostwrite a book about your experience, they'll offer you endorsement deals, public speaking engagements. Politicians are going to want a picture of them shaking your hand. Hell, it's even money betting that you'll get an offer to guest host Saturday Night Live. I've seen it all happen before, it's overwhelming for anybody. Please, let us help you."</p><p>Eren laughed at the absurdity of what the older man had said. Then he looked down at his hands, still looking at how jerky they were. </p><p>"I didn't....I didn't want this," he said softly. </p><p>Zackary put a hand on his shoulder. "I know that Eren. I know. And the most important thing to remember is that you don't have to do anything that you don't want to, no matter what anybody says. Will you let us help you?"</p><p>Eren looked up, and decided that Captain Zackary had kind eyes. His lips quirked up.</p><p>"Would you still want to represent me if I told you I was gay?" </p><p>Zackary crossed his arms and gave him a sour look. "I'm not even going to dignify that with a response."</p><p>Eren put up his hands. "Okay, okay. Just checking. I would appreciate your help, Captain Zackary."</p><p>"The shock must be wearing off some if you're being a wiseass," Zackary said, but he was smiling. "Alright, here's what's going to happen next. I'm going to go out there and bring in the lead NTSB and FBI investigators for this incident, they're going to officially introduce themselves to you and notify you of their role and that they want to interview you. They're not going to ask you any specific questions about the incident today, we'll schedule a formal interview for a couple days from now, after you've had a chance to decompress. Your memory will be better that way. After that, we'll get you to a hotel room. You're going to take that sleeping pill the doctor gives you, and you're going to rest. And we'll talk more tomorrow. Alright?"</p><p>Eren nodded.</p><p>"Is there anything you need?"</p><p>Eren was about to say no, but changed his mind. "Could you get my suitcase, my things? It's all still on the plane. I'd like a change of clothes before I go there. I..." He looked down again. "I had an accident while I was....you know."</p><p>Zackary put his hand on his shoulder again. "There's nothing to be ashamed of, Eren. Now, truthfully, I don't know what the status is on the luggage on the plane, when I was out there, they had the whole thing blocked off with crime scene tape. But I will get you a change of clothes. Something presentable. What are your sizes?"</p><p>Eren told him, and Zackary stood up. "I'll get the NTSB and the FBI in and out of here, and we'll get you changed and checked out, okay?"</p><p>Eren nodded, and Zackary left, coming back a minute later with a man and a woman, both dressed in professional attire.</p><p>"Mr. Yeager, my name is Hitch Dreyse, I'm an aircraft accident investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board," the woman said. "This is Special Agent Hannes with the FBI. We're part of the team that is going to be investigating what happened on your flight today."</p><p>Eren nodded at them. </p><p>"Your doctor has told us that you are uninjured, is that correct?"</p><p>He nodded again.</p><p>"I'm glad to hear it. I won't keep you, I'm sure you're tired. But, just for the sake of verification, were you at the controls of the aircraft today at any point during the flight?"</p><p>The way she made it sound, it was almost like he had done something wrong, like he stole the plane and took it for a joyride. He was sure that wasn't her intention, but still.</p><p>"Yes," he said in a small voice. Hitch nodded.</p><p>"Alright. I must now officially inform you that the NTSB and the Department of Justice are conducting an official investigation sanctioned by the United States Government into the incident that occurred on today's flight. As part of this investigation, we will ask you to voluntarily submit a statement about what you witnessed and did during the incident. Please note that you do not have to speak to us at this time, however, if you refuse, we can issue a subpoena to compel you to do so at a public inquiry. That being said, will you submit to an interview with us?"</p><p>Eren nodded.</p><p>"Very good. Captain Zackary has informed us that the ALPA will be representing you during the investigation, so we will schedule an interview with him in the next few days. Do you have any questions?"</p><p>"Do you think I did something wrong?" The words had slipped out of his mouth before he even realized what he was saying, and he wanted to clap his hands over his mouth like a child who'd accidently said a bad word.</p><p>Hitch's face softened. "Off the record," she said, "No, I don't think you did anything wrong. If what I think happened actually did happen, you performed one of the most courageous feats in the history of flight. But the fact is, you shouldn't have had to do anything in the first place, you were a passenger on that flight, it wasn't your responsibility. Our investigation's job is to find out what circumstances led to shots being fired on board the plane, and how to keep it from happening again. Also, we'll look at the performance of the aircraft to see if anything can be improved on, safety wise. But that's it. You're not going to get into trouble."</p><p>Eren nodded, he felt very young and very stupid at the moment. </p><p>"Alright, we'll talk to you in a couple of days, Mr. Yeager. Please get some rest and take care of yourself."</p><p>And with that, she strode from the room, followed by Agent Hannes, who, in Eren's opinion, looked like a shaved chimpanzee with a stupid mustache. Captain Zackary also left, calling over his shoulder "I'm going to find you some clothes!"</p><p>******</p><p>Half an hour later, Eren was ready to go. He was now dressed in a green T-shirt and blue Hollister skinny jeans. He had raised an eyebrow at those.</p><p>"You don't look much older than my teenage son. He's gay, and he wears outfits like this, so I figured..."</p><p>"No, this is fine," Eren quickly said. Checking himself out in the mirror, he decided he looked kind of cute. You know, other than the frazzled disaster that was his face. The ensemble was topped off with a red pullover hoodie emblazoned with "Arkansas Razorbacks" on the front. Eren chuckled at that, he wouldn't have picked that, he didn't like football and he'd gone to school in Chicago. But oh well, this day was surreal enough as it was. He was also wearing new socks and underwear. His old clothes were in a pile on the floor. </p><p>"Could you...get rid of those?" Eren asked. "I don't think I could wear any of it again without remembering."</p><p>"I think you should keep this," Zackary said, holding up the aviator jacket.</p><p>"That stupid thing is what got me into this mess in the first place, it's why Captain Smith knew I was a pilot."</p><p>"All the more reason to keep it," Zackary argued. "What do you think would have happened if you hadn't gone to the cockpit? When you think about it, in all likelihood, that jacket saved your life."</p><p>Eren hadn't thought about it like that. "Oh hell," he mumbled, grabbing the jacket and bundling it in the bag that contained the extra socks and underwear from the pack and his medicine.</p><p>"Are you ready to go to the hotel?" Zackary asked. </p><p>"Could I see Captain Smith first?" Eren asked. </p><p>"I'm afraid not. He's still in the ICU, in a medically induced coma. Only family is allowed to be with him."</p><p>That alarmed Eren, he hadn't realized that Erwin had been that seriously wounded. After all, he'd been conscious throughout the flight.</p><p>"Alright then, which hotel are we going to? I don't have a lot of money to pay for one, I'm kind of between jobs at the moment."</p><p>Zackary gave him a strange look. "Eren, the airline is paying for your hotel. They would have done so anyway because you were a passenger who got diverted here, but especially for you now, considering what you did."</p><p>"Oh."</p><p>"You're gonna have to start getting used to it, kid. People are going to start tripping all over themselves to give you things. Okay, it's a little crazy out here, so we're going to have the police help us out of here, do I have your permission to put my arm around you and steer you in the right direction?"</p><p>Initially, Eren was wary. It seemed like such an...intimate gesture. But then, for the second time that day, he had a bizarre thought: that if this guy wanted to grope him, he'd probably be okay with it. Maybe it would return a sense of normalcy to this situation. What the hell was WRONG with him?</p><p>Eren nodded and walked up to Zackary at the door. As soon as it opened, he was immediately glad he'd agreed to do it like this. It was a madhouse. There were cops and medical staff and just people all over the hallway. Zackary signalled to the two police officers by the door and they fanned out ahead of them, making sure they had enough room to walk. </p><p>He felt like everyone was staring at him, and then he realized that they WERE staring at him. And their mouths were moving and Oh God they were talking to him:</p><p>"Good job kid."</p><p>"Way to go, Eren!"</p><p>"Nice flying!"</p><p>"Great job!"</p><p>Eren felt his face going red. But this was only a warmup. When they got to the reception desk of the hospital, someone shouted "Here he comes!" And there were cameras and microphones suddenly in his face. Reporters were asking questions, jumbled over each other so Eren couldn't make it out. </p><p>"Folks, please!" Captain Zackary said. "Eren has had a very long and stressful day, he isn't up to talking right now. His doctor wants him to rest, I'm sure you all understand that. Please let us through."</p><p>The police parted the crowd of reporters and Zackary guided Eren through the sea of microphones. Outside the hospital, a crowd of curious onlookers had gathered, and they started clapping and cheering when they saw him like they were at a sporting event. More people were shouting compliments at him, he was pretty sure he heard someone say "Eren have my babies!"</p><p>Eren was bundled into the back of a waiting car, Zackary sitting in the front passenger seat. The driver left immediately, leaving the crowd behind. </p><p>"Told you Eren," Zackary said. "Your whole life is about to change."</p><p>Rationally, Eren knew that the attention was a good thing. Everyone likes flattery, and considering the only press about his family before this had been decidedly negative, this could only improve things. But in the moment, all Eren could think was "What the fuck?"</p>
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<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Eren slept for 12 hours. He awoke with a start, startled about where he was for a second before he remembered. Still, part of him was still convinced that he had hallucinated the greater part of yesterday, at least, he WAS, until he turned on CNN.</p><p>PASSENGER LANDS JETLINER AFTER FLIGHT CREW IS SHOT was the headline news story. The talking heads were discussing something to do with aviation, but Eren wasn't paying attention. His head was spinning a little bit. The enormity of what had happened, of what he had done, was starting to sink in now.</p><p>If Eren had been at home, watching the news and this story had come on, he would have thought it was absurd. Things like this, they didn't happen. Except, it had. And it had happened to him. </p><p>"What the hell am I gonna do now?" he said out loud. </p><p>The truth was, before the flight yesterday, Eren had been at the end of his rope. He had lost his job. As usual, it wasn't his fault, his boss had found out who his father was.</p><p>"You have to understand, if people found out, it would be a PR nightmare," the asshole had said. Eren hadn't even tried to argue with him, it had happened too many times before.</p><p>Something in him had snapped. He couldn't live this way anymore, going from menial job to menial job, living in a shitty apartment in Chicago because he refused to go back to San Antonio. He had disavowed his mother, he was unbelievably angry at her for refusing to condemn her husband, instead making up ludicrous conspiracy theories that kept putting their family name, HIS name, in the news. That had ruined them more than what his father had done, in Eren's opinion. It made it look like they all defended Grisha, which made it impossible to function in society. All his school friends had stopped seeing him, either by choice or because their parents made them. His college education and his dreams of being a pilot had drained the family finances, and Eren was deeply in debt. </p><p>Eren had nothing, not a goddamn thing left. No friends, no money, no career prospects, no hope. He could have gone to live with his brother, but Eren didn't want to be a burden on Zeke. He was proud of his brother. He had overcome the same problems Eren had and started a rather successful business. He wasn't getting rich, but he was making enough to get by. No, Eren couldn't bring himself to go to his brother for charity. </p><p>He decided he was going to run away. Disappear, go off the grid, whatever you want to call it. He'd abandon his life in Chicago, leave his debts and his name behind. It was going to hurt to cut off contact with his brother, but Eren figured it was for the best. Even his mother's death didn't put him off his plan, it just delayed it. He figured he owed it to Zeke to help him bury their mother, so he spent most of his savings on the plane ticket to San Antonio, packed a bag with everything he wanted to take with him, and left for the airport, deciding he'd never come back.</p><p>But now? If Zackary was right, Eren's face would be on the front of every newspaper in the world by the end of the goddamn week. If he tried to disappear now, he'd probably be recognized. Hell, the FBI might even track him down. But....did he want to run away now?</p><p>Zackary had said that his life was going to change. Could this be a second chance, an opportunity to turn his life around? He could give an interview, tell the world once and for all that he wasn't his father, that he hated him for what he had done. And with his mother dead, there wouldn't be anybody to contradict him. Maybe then he could keep a job without worrying that he'd get fired because of his name. Maybe then....they'd let him be a pilot.</p><p>Eren needed to figure out what his next step was. But he couldn't do anything until he got out of Little Rock. He called Zeke, and was unable to talk him out of driving up from San Antonio tomorrow to come get him, despite the fact that Eren wasn't sure if he'd be free to leave. After he got off the phone with him, there was a knock at the door, and he opened it to find someone from Texas National Airlines, who had his luggage, along with a $1,000 travel voucher good for any flight with TNA or their partner airlines as an apology for the "inconvenience." Eren resisted the urge to laugh, since this guy had clearly been doing this all day and had no idea who Eren was. </p><p>Next he called Mikasa, who he hadn't had a chance to speak to yesterday. Eren loved Mikasa like a sister. She was the only one of his school friends that hadn't abandoned him, though she lived in Austin now, where she was pursuing a Master's Degree at the University of Texas.  Mikasa was happy to hear from him, she hadn't heard about the plane incident until after the fact, and didn't know what had happened, Eren promised to tell her all about it when he got back to Texas. He wasn't sure how to tell her over the phone. </p><p>Eren had just about finished going through his stuff to make sure nothing was missing when there was another knock at the door. He opened it to reveal his new friend, Captain Zackary.</p><p>"What's wrong?" Eren asked immediately, because his face looked grave.</p><p>"Captain Erwin Smith died this morning," Zackary said.</p><p>It was like he had been punched in the stomach. He turned away from Zackary and walked over to the window. </p><p>"What...happened?" Eren asked softly.</p><p>"There was nothing the doctors could do, the damage was too severe. They were never able to stabilize him long enough to even try to go into surgery. This morning his heart finally gave out."</p><p>Eren continued to stare out the window, fighting back tears. It wasn't fair! Captain Smith had been a kind man, he didn't deserve this! He was the only reason Eren was there in the first place, instead of dead in a crater along with everyone else on that plane. But even before that....he'd offered a shred of hope to Eren when he didn't have any. He pulled the business card Erwin had given him out of his jacket pocket. He had thought a couple of times, before the flight went sideways, about calling the blonde airline captain after his mother's affairs were set in order. He had nothing really to lose at that point. But Erwin did. He had a family, people that loved him, a career. Eren should have died, not Erwin.</p><p>"Will you...will you let me know when the funeral arrangements are made?" Eren said. "I'd like to attend. I owe him my life."</p><p>Zackary nodded. </p><p>"Are you going to be alright, Eren?"</p><p>Probably not, but Eren's feelings weren't what was important here.</p><p>"I'm fine. His husband....Erwin mentioned he had a husband."</p><p>"Levi was with Erwin when he passed. He is with his friends now. I was going to stop by, offer my condolences. See what help I could offer.</p><p>"Well don't let me keep you," Eren said. </p><p>"That's not the only reason I came. Your interview with the investigators, we scheduled it for tomorrow morning. Is that alright?"</p><p>"Yes. My brother is driving up here tomorrow to come and get me. After the interview is over, do I need to stay here for anything else?"</p><p>Zackary shook his head. "I'll just need to know how and where to contact you after you leave."</p><p>"I'll be staying with my brother in San Antonio. He can give you the details."</p><p>Eren hadn't decided until that moment that he was going to stay with Zeke, but he couldn't bring himself to go back to Chicago. Too many bad memories waited for him there.</p><p>"Alright then, I'll come back here at 10 to pick you up."</p><p>Eren nodded and the man left. He sat on the bed, fumbling with the remote to turn the TV back on. The news was now carrying the story that the captain of TNA Flight 845 had died of injuries sustained in the attempted hijacking. They put a picture of Erwin Smith on the screen. He looked distinguished, confident, a true master of his field. </p><p>Eren let the tears fall then, crying as much for himself as he was for Captain Smith. </p><p>******</p><p>The interview wasn't as bad as he thought it was going to be. After setting up the recording devices and offering him coffee and donuts (he took a donut but didn't drink coffee so he had water instead), they went through a pro forma speech about how he didn't have to answer any questions but any statement that he did make would be considered evidence in the official investigation, and that knowingly making false statements was a crime. </p><p>Then they had asked him to describe in as much detail as he could what had happened on board the plane. And Eren did, starting from the pops he'd heard, how the plane dipped down and the oxygen masks had deployed, how the flight attendant, Petra, had come to his seat and asked him to come up front, telling him what had happened. How he'd gone into the cockpit and seen Captain Smith wounded and the First Officer dead. How the Captain had told him he was unable to move the controls and that he needed Eren to do it. Then a blow by blow account of what he'd done while at the controls, all the way until Petra had helped him off the plane on Little Rock's runway.</p><p>"Did you know Captain Smith well?" Hitch had asked when he'd finished. </p><p>"Not really, no."</p><p>"Then how did he know you were a pilot?" she asked.</p><p>"While the plane was still at O'Hare, there was a delay while they fixed something mechanical on the plane. The flight crew came up the jetway and to the passenger waiting area. Captain Smith came over to talk to me, he said he didn't want to stand next to the First Officer, that he was 'a stick in the mud.'"</p><p>"Why did he come over to you?" Special Agent Hannes asked. "Did he say?"</p><p>"It was silly, really. My friend Mikasa bought me this stupid leather aviator's jacket with wings pinned on them as a gift when I got my private pilot's license. I don't even know why I had it on that day, I don't normally wear it. But Captain Smith said he saw the wings and came over to ask if I was a pilot."</p><p>"What else did you talk about?"</p><p>"Well, at first I thought he was just using a pickup line on me, that he was flirting, you know? But we just talked about aviation, and his husband, and he gave me his card and said he could help me if I decided I wanted to become an airline pilot."</p><p>Eren realized what he said too late, and quickly added. "Please don't put the part about me thinking he was flirting in your report, it isn't fair to Captain Smith's family."</p><p>"Since it's not really relevant to the incident, it probably won't," said Hitch. "The First Officer. Did you see him? Did you talk with him?"</p><p>"I saw him. He was leaning against the wall by the bathrooms. He looked irritated. I asked Captain Smith what his problem was, and he said that he had been like that since the plane had been delayed, that he'd never flown with him before, but he seemed impatient. The only time I heard him talk was when he came over to tell Captain Smith that it was time for the two of them to go back to the cockpit. He didn't even speak over the PA at the start of the flight, the Captain did. By the time I got up into the cockpit, he was already....well, you know."</p><p>"Well, I think that's all we needed for now," Hitch said, shutting off the recorder. "We'll reach out to Captain Zackary if we need you for something else."</p><p>Everyone got up and started packing away their things. </p><p>"One more question, Eren," Agent Hannes said. "You said that Captain Smith told you that he could help you if you wanted to become an airline pilot."</p><p>Eren nodded.</p><p>"Well, DO you want to become an airline pilot?"</p><p>Everyone stopped to look at Eren, who found himself put on the spot. </p><p>"At one point in my life, that was all I wanted to do," Eren said. "I've always loved flying. But, to be honest, after what my father did, I gave up hope of doing anything like that. Nobody seemed willing to look past what my last name was to give me a chance."</p><p>Captain Zackary put a hand on his shoulder, but it was Hitch that spoke next.</p><p>"We've looked at the preliminary data from the Flight Data Recorder and the Cockpit Voice Recorder Eren. I can tell you with complete certainty that once our report is published, nobody will ever judge you for your father's mistakes again. You certainly won't have a problem finding a job in the airline industry."</p><p>"Amen to that," Zackary said. "You'll have your pick of airlines to fly for, Eren. I'll make sure of it."</p><p>Eren wasn't sure how to respond to that, he was barely able to shake hands with everyone and walk out of the room without tipping over.</p><p>******</p><p>Zeke was supposed to arrive any minute, and Eren was glad. He was starting to go stir crazy in this hotel room. so when the knock at the door came, Eren didn't bother looking through the peephole, throwing the door open expecting to see his brother. But it wasn't.</p><p>******</p><p>Levi wasn't sure if this was a good idea or not. Hanji had gotten him the information, she had a way of finding things out. The kid's name was Eren Yeager, and he'd come to his hotel room to...what? Levi wasn't even sure. He probably wasn't thinking straight. </p><p>Erwin was gone. He'd slipped away while Levi held his hand. It left a hollow feeling in his chest, a full body ache that centered on his chest. He didn't cry, he didn't wail and beat his breast, but oh, how it hurt. His brain, searching around for something to do so it didn't have to reflect on what he'd just lost, had decided that it needed to understand. Not understand WHAT had happened, necessarily, but....the last people that had talked to him while he was still here, still...undamaged, it was like he HAD to talk to them, to see what Erwin was saying and doing during his last day. </p><p>Petra had come to visit him while he was still in the hospital, sitting with Erwin. She was crying, and repeatedly apologizing every time she wiped her eyes or her nose. </p><p>"It's nice to know....." he said softly, "That he was joking and laughing with you, at the end."</p><p>"Yeah," she said thickly, wiping her nose again. "We were talking about Eren. It was weird how it turned out."</p><p>"What do you mean?"</p><p>"I saw them together, at the gate, while we were trying to get the plane fixed. Erwin walked over to this kid sitting by himself, and was talking with him. Whatever he said, he made the kid smile. You got the feeling that kid didn't have a lot to smile about, you know. Then when...HE was in the bathroom, and I was in the cockpit with Erwin, he told me about him, that he was a pilot."</p><p>Levi grunted, kind of already suspecting where this was going.</p><p>"I joked with him you know, that Erwin talked to him because he was cute. He said 'I wouldn't want to introduce him to Levi, they'd either hate each other or get along so well they'd run off together.'"</p><p>Levi was surprised to find himself laughing in spite of himself. "That sounds just like the dumb shit Erwin would say."</p><p>After that conversation, he wanted to see this kid for himself. To hear his voice. To understand what it was that Erwin saw in him that made him worth talking to, worth taking an interest in. Worth trusting him to save the lives of all of Erwin's passengers, a responsibility that Levi knew Erwin took extremely seriously.</p><p>So he'd asked Hanji to find out what he could about him, most importantly where he was. He figured the NTSB would keep him in Little Rock at least until they had a chance to interview him. Eren was a kid just out of college, with a private pilot's license and a Chicago address. Most interesting of all was the rumor that his father was Grisha Yeager, the nutcase that tried to murder the President 10 years ago. And she'd found his hotel room.</p><p>So now he was here, and he wasn't sure what he was going to say when he knocked on the door. Once he'd knocked on the door, that was. He knew he needed to do it soon, if Eren opened the door and he was just standing there he'd freak out. So he raised his fist and knocked. </p><p>Eren opened the door and oh damn, he was pretty. The kid's eyes were wide as he stared at Levi, apprehension all over his face.</p><p>"Hi," he said, a note of confusion in his voice.</p><p>"Hello," Levi said, then realized he should say something else. "Are you Eren?"</p><p>"That depends on who you are," the kid replied, his eyes narrowing.</p><p>"Oh! Sorry. I'm Levi. I'm....I WAS....Erwin's husband." That had hurt to say. But it had an impact on Eren too, his eyes softened. </p><p>"Oh, goodness! Umm....do you want to come in?" Eren said, holding the door open for him. Levi walked inside, there was only one chair, so he sat in that, leaving Eren to stand awkwardly by the bed before he decided to just sit on that.</p><p>"I'm....really sorry about Cap....I mean Erwin," Eren said. </p><p>Levi nodded. "Thank you. I talked to Petra. She said that you two talked before the flight."</p><p>Eren rubbed the back of his neck, looking uncomfortable. "Oh! Yeah. He came up to me and said he saw the wings on the stupid jacket I was wearing. So he wanted to know if I was a pilot, and we talked for a bit, yeah."</p><p>It all clicked for Levi then. How Eren looked, the way he talked, the way he shifted his weight from one buttcheek to another as he sat, fidgeting under Levi's gaze. The fact that his husband had spotted aviator's wings on this kid from halfway across the room hadn't been a coincidence. He had ALREADY been looking at Eren and the jacket was just a pretext to talk to him.</p><p>Most people who knew Captain Erwin Smith knew that he was a shameless flirt. He did it in such a charming way that half the time you didn't even realize he WAS flirting with you. It was just how he was. It was one of the reasons they had so many friends, he was so charismatic.</p><p>But what most people DIDN'T know about Captain Erwin Smith was that every once in a while, a fresh faced young man would catch his attention, and he would want to take things further than just flirting. He would bring them home to Levi, and they would play with him. Sometimes it was only one night, sometimes it was multiple times. Levi was into it, and Erwin never did anything without Levi. It was harmless and fun and absolutely nobody's business but theirs. </p><p>Eren was absolutely Erwin's type. The fact that he was a pilot made it even better. Erwin LOVED young pilots. A young, gay pilot who was sitting alone looking sad? If they had been in Dallas instead of Chicago, Erwin would likely have scooped him up and taken him home right then and there.</p><p>"What else did you guys talk about?" Levi asked casually. "I'm sorry, I don't want to make you uncomfortable....it's just, you were one of the last people to talk to him before he got shot."</p><p>"No, I understand!" Eren said quickly. "Just, uh...he asked me if I wanted to be a commercial pilot. He offered to help me if I wanted to try for it, he gave me a card and said to call him after thinking about it."</p><p>And there it was. Levi couldn't help but be impressed by how smooth his husband had been with this kid. </p><p>"Erwin always liked helping people," Levi said. </p><p>"What was he like?" Eren said. </p><p>"He was....he was the most interesting person I have ever met," Levi said. "He was everything I'm not. Outgoing, friendly with everyone, he LOVED his job and the people he worked with. Obsessed with the Dallas Cowboys, he always tried to get gamedays off so he could either watch on TV or go to the stadium. Couldn't cook or clean to save his life, if he hadn't met me, I'm convinced he would have starved to death years ago."</p><p>Eren chuckled, and Levi noted in spite of himself how sweet the sound was. The fact that Erwin wasn't here to appreciate it with him just hurt all that much more.</p><p>"Levi...Erwin talked about you with such reverence. He obviously cared for you a lot," Eren said. "I wish...I wish there was something I could have done. If I could have taken the bullet instead...."</p><p>Levi cut him off. "Erwin wouldn't have let you."</p><p>"He was so focused on getting the plane on the ground, he never gave any sign that he was in pain or worried about himself. If I had known what I was doing, I could have landed quicker, then he might..."</p><p>"Eren." Levi said firmly. Eren stopped and looked up at him. "Don't blame this on yourself. Everyone on board that plane should have died when Erwin was shot. You kept that from happening. THAT is what Erwin would have wanted. Thank you for that."</p><p>"But what about you?" Eren said softly. </p><p>"I..." Levi paused and swallowed. "I got to the hospital and Erwin was still conscious. I got to talk to him one more time, to hear that he loved me one more time before he went. You did that for me, Eren."</p><p>Eren was crying, and he just looked so...Levi had to fight the urge to hug him. Is this what Erwin saw? It must have been. </p><p>There was a knock at the door, and Eren wiped his face as he got up to open it. A blonde man about Levi's age was at the door. </p><p>"Hi Zeke," Eren said. The man grabbed Eren and wrapped him in a bear hug.</p><p>"It's so good to see you in one piece, little brother."</p><p>Zeke looked up and saw Levi.</p><p>"Hi, I'm Levi," he said, unsure what else to say. "Eren and I were just talking about...what happened."</p><p>"I'm Zeke, Eren's brother," Zeke said, crossing the room to shake his hand. "I've come up to get him."</p><p>"I was just leaving," Levi said, suddenly needing to get the fuck out of there. "Thank you for talking with me, Eren."</p><p>"Sure," Eren said. "I'm sorry again about your husband."</p><p>"Thanks." He turned to look at Zeke. "Take care of your brother, he's a good kid."</p><p>"I know he is."</p><p>And with that, Levi swept out of the hotel room. His brain understood now. He knew why Erwin had entrusted Eren with the airplane. What would have happened if Jean Kirschtein hadn't come to work with a gun. </p><p>Now Levi had to go home, and bury the love of his life.</p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was the light that woke up Zeke. He groaned, overcoming his initial urge to roll over and go back to sleep and getting up. He found Eren sitting at the kitchen table. His eyes were blown wide, staring at the glass of water he held.</p><p><br/>"You alright bud?" Zeke asked. Eren looked up at him and blinked. </p><p>"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up."</p><p>Zeke sat at the table across from his brother. "Don't worry about it. Why are you up?"</p><p>"Couldn't sleep."</p><p>"You had a nightmare," Zeke said. Eren just sighed. "Go on, tell me, Eren."</p><p>Eren took a sip of water. "I was there, in the cockpit of the plane. But I couldn't control it. We got to the runway, and it was like I couldn't do anything but watch. We crashed, and there was fire, and screaming. I was trapped, and burning, and I...."</p><p>Eren shuddered. </p><p>"It was just a dream, Eren. That didn't happen, you're safe."</p><p>"I know," Eren sighed. "It's just, it brought it all back. The smells, the sounds. While it was happening, I didn't pay attention, but now...."</p><p>Zeke put his hand on Eren's shoulder and squeezed. </p><p>"What will you do now, Eren?"</p><p>"I don't know."</p><p>"Will you stay here, with me?"</p><p>Eren looked up at him.</p><p>"You're all that I have left, Eren. And I almost lost you this week. Please don't...."</p><p>Zeke couldn't finish the thought. </p><p>"Alright, Zeke. I'll stay."</p><p>"Okay good. Why don't we go up to your apartment in Chicago and get your things and bring them down here?"</p><p>"Uhhhh..." Eren shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Can you do it without me? I don't think I can go back there."</p><p>When pressed, Eren went on to tell Zeke about his plan to run away from his life, after he'd lost his job because his boss found out who their father was. He had been planning to take off right after their mother was buried, so he never intended to go back to Chicago or his apartment. </p><p>Zeke sighed. "Okay, I'll go up there myself. But, Eren...."</p><p>Zeke hugged his brother.</p><p>"I know things have been tough for you, I get it. But don't disappear on me, bud. Promise?"</p><p>"I promise."</p><p>Regardless, Zeke thought to himself as he shooed Eren back to bed and headed to his own room, he intended to make sure Mikasa stopped by the house regularly while Zeke was gone to check on Eren.</p><p>******</p><p>There was a crowd of reporters outside of Eren's apartment building, and at first, Zeke was confused as to why. </p><p>"What's going on?" he asked someone on the sidewalk.</p><p>"You know that guy that landed the plane after the pilots got shot? Apparently he lives here."</p><p>"Huh, interesting," Zeke said, in his best impression of mild interest. It would seem the media found out who Eren was. It was a good thing he had come alone after all.</p><p>Nobody paid him any attention as he made his way into the building. Eren's apartment was apparently on the 4th floor, and elevators were a luxury the landlord couldn't or wouldn't afford, so he trudged up the stairs. </p><p>Someone was sitting on the floor of the hallway. It couldn't be another resident since Eren's apartment was the only one on this floor. Zeke assumed it was another goddamn reporter.</p><p>"This is private property," he said, irritated. "Get out of here."</p><p>"Oh, sorry!"</p><p>Zeke stopped. He'd heard that voice before. The figure stood up, and moved toward the single lightbulb that illuminated the hallway.</p><p>"Armin?" Zeke said. The figure stopped, blinking.</p><p>"Zeke?"</p><p>"Armin, what are you doing sitting in the hallway like that?"</p><p>"I came to see Eren."</p><p>"Well, as you probably guessed, he's not here. But come on, I'll let you in and we can talk."</p><p>As he fumbled with the keys, he recalled what had happened. Armin was Eren's best friend growing up, they were inseparable, even more so than with Mikasa. After their father had, well, done his foolishness, Armin didn't avoid Eren like most of his other so called "friends" had. In fact, Armin's parents had forced him to stop seeing Eren. They'd even gone so far as to move the family out of state to ensure that the Arlert family wouldn't be associated with the Yeagers. It had broken Eren's heart, but he'd told Armin that he shouldn't risk getting disinherited for him. As far as Zeke knew, they hadn't spoken in years.</p><p>Zeke opened the door to the apartment and was shocked by what he found. The word "dingy" didn't even begin to describe it. It looked ancient, with carpets worn almost completely through and paint peeling off the walls. The kitchen appliances looked 50 years old, and the toilet....ugh. What really hit him though, was how spartan the place looked. There was no TV or movies, a few books, one armchair that looked like Eren had found it on the sidewalk, and some battered looking shelves that were mostly empty. In the bedroom, Zeke cringed to see that instead of a bed, there was a mattress on the floor. It looked like Eren kept his clothes in folded piles on the floor, no dressers to speak of could be seen. Zeke ran his fingers through his hair, horrified.</p><p>"Why would my brother live like this?" he mumbled to himself. Then he realized: it was all that Eren could afford. He was buried in student loan debt, forced to work shitty jobs that probably barely covered the rent on this craphole. And then he couldn't even afford THAT, thanks to his shitty manager who'd fired him because of something that Eren didn't even do. It was probably wise that Eren refused to tell Zeke where he worked, because in his current state, Zeke would probably do something rash, like, say, sodomize the bastard manager with a ketchup bottle.</p><p>There was a noise behind him, and Zeke turned around, having forgotten for a second that Armin was there.</p><p>"Eren tried to convince me not to come back here, he said there wasn't anything left in his place worth keeping. I thought he was exaggerating, but Jesus." </p><p>Armin nodded. "Eren doesn't live here anymore then?"</p><p>"No, he's staying with me in Texas."</p><p>Armin nodded again. Zeke set down the boxes he'd brought with him and started piling Eren's clothes into one of them. He'd take everything but the mattress and the chair, he decided, and if Eren didn't want anything, he could throw it out.</p><p>"But why are you here, Armin?"</p><p>Armin shifted uncomfortably. "My parents died, about a year ago. I've been looking for Eren ever since."</p><p>"I'm sorry," Zeke said. Armin gave a watery smile. </p><p>"Thanks. After they died, I didn't have any reason to stay in New Jersey, so I made my way back to Texas. I found out from someone we used to go to school with that Eren went to school here at DuPaul, so I came up here. It was so stupid, I don't know why I thought I could find him, this place is huge. But then I saw yesterday some story about a plane, and that someone named Eren from Chicago was involved, and I followed the reporters here, hoping against hope that it was the right person. But it wasn't until you walked up those stairs that I knew."</p><p>"But why, Armin? I don't understand."</p><p>Armin looked at his shoes. "I wanted to apologize. For leaving him."</p><p>"But it wasn't your fault, your parents made you."</p><p>"I know, but I could have fought harder. When I turned 18, I could have left, and gone to find him."</p><p>"My brother didn't want you to risk your future. He always talked about how you were going to be more successful than any of us."</p><p>"Don't you get it?" Armin threw his hands up. "It didn't matter! I don't have a future anyway! My parents killed themselves! They were buried up to their asses in debt and they took the easy way out, leaving me to clean up the mess. The house got foreclosed on, the car was repossessed, everything they owned gone to their creditors. I have nothing, Zeke. So what exactly did I give up my best friend for, huh?"</p><p>Zeke looked at him a little closer, and he could see things he hadn't before. How worn out his clothes were, how his shoes looked to be falling apart. His hair didn't look very well maintained. And he was skinny. Even skinnier than Eren was.</p><p>"Armin," Zeke said slowly, "have you been living on the street?"</p><p>Armin looked at him sadly, and Zeke knew. </p><p>"I didn't start out that way. When my parents died, I was still in college. I was able to stay in the dorms until I graduated. After that though....Like I said, I had no reason to stay there."</p><p>Zeke looked at Armin, and he saw Eren. If the plane trip to San Antonio hadn't gone so off the rails, this could have been his brother. </p><p>"There but for the grace of God go I," he said to himself.</p><p>Then he looked at Armin again, and saw someone that still cared for his brother all these years later, had apparently hitchhiked across the country just to see him again. After everything Eren had been through, he deserved a little happiness in his life. And fate had just delivered the means to do so right into Zeke's lap.</p><p>"Armin," said Zeke, "Can you help me pack Eren's things? Then I want to take you with me back to San Antonio, to see Eren."</p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm back! Long story short, I got laid off (Covid sucks) and was depressed about that for awhile, combined with moving into a new house, and the holidays, and I had to transition to prioritizing my professional writing work to make up for my lost salary, so I haven't had the energy to write on here. Can't guarantee that I'll update regularly, but here you go!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Eren tossed the newspaper down in front of Zeke as he came in the room.</p><p>"They found me, big brother."</p><p>"Yes, I know, they were camped outside your apartment in Chicago when I went there."</p><p>Eren sighed. "I don't suppose if I asked nicely they'd just leave me alone?"</p><p>"You and I both know better than that after last time. At least this time its for a good reason."</p><p>"Yeah, but it's only a matter of time before they make the connection to our father, and then it'll be all that any of them talk about."</p><p>"Don't worry about that, Eren. We've got something else to talk about anyway."</p><p>Eren raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"</p><p>"I don't want you to freak out, okay?"</p><p>"Alright that's just guaranteed to freak me out. What is going on, Zeke?"</p><p>"Armin is here. He's in the kitchen."</p><p>".....I'm sorry, what?"</p><p>"I said, Armin is in the kitchen."</p><p>"You're joking."</p><p>"No, I'm serious. I found him outside your apartment and I brought him back with me."</p><p>"I don't understand....I haven't seen him in years, what is he doing here? Did his stupid parents decide that since I'm a 'hero' he can hang out with me again, because I'll tell you right now...."</p><p>"Eren, his parents are dead."</p><p>".....oh."</p><p>"He has nothing left. The bank took the house, and their cars, and he had to drop out of school. You should see him, he's been living on the street."</p><p>Eren paled. "He WHAT?!"</p><p>Eren pushed Zeke out of the doorway to his bedroom and fastwalked downstairs to the kitchen. Armin was sitting at the table, nursing a cup of coffee. He looked up as Eren came in, the mug hitting the table with a loud clunk.</p><p>"Eren..." Armin breathed out. Eren only paused to look at him a moment, then crossed the room, yanked Armin to his feet, and enveloped him in a bonecrushing hug. </p><p>"Oh God," Eren breathed into Armin's shoulder, "It is so good to see you."</p><p>Armin was crying. "Eren, I'm so...."</p><p>"Hey! None of that! Nothing was your fault, alright? I'm just glad that you're here now, and you're okay."</p><p>They broke apart, Armin still sniffling, and Eren smiling broadly.</p><p>"I could say the same about you! What's this about you flying a plane, Eren?"</p><p>"Armin, my dude, I've had one HELL of a week."</p><p>They both busted out laughing at that. Zeke walked in the room then, hearing the two of them cackling brought back fond memories of growing up, before everything went to shit. </p><p>"Do you like my surprise, Eren?"</p><p>Eren turned to his brother. "Hey, fuck you, Zeke! You could have warned me you had Armin with you!"</p><p>"And miss out on this? No way!" </p><p>Eren punched Zeke in the shoulder. He felt better than he had since....man, he couldn't remember. Freshman year of college, maybe, before anybody knew who his father was, and he still had friends.</p><p>"Alrighty then," Zeke said, rubbing his hands together, "First order of business, pizza. Then we're going to sit down and talk about what's next for you two."</p><p>Both Eren and Armin exchanged looks of alarm and said "What?!" at the same time.</p><p>"No questions! Pizza first! Don't fuck with me, I'm hungry enough to be hangry!"</p><p>******</p><p>Once they had their fill of superb New York style pizza (the only acceptable form for pizza to take, in Eren's opinion), the three of them were sat around the kitchen table, sipping soda.</p><p>"Alright, so how much college do you need before you can graduate, Armin?"</p><p>"Umm...like a semester's worth of stuff. At least at Rutgers, I did."</p><p>"Right, well, we'll get you enrolled up at UT in Austin. The registrar up there is a friend of mine, owes me a few favors. Meanwhile, I'll get my lawyer friend to look into your financial history, see if we can't get some of your parents assets released to you." Zeke said all of this matter-of-factly, like he was making a grocery list. It blew Eren's mind.</p><p>"Wait, what? No, I couldn't ask you to do that, Zeke!" Armin protested. "That would cost way more than I could afford!"</p><p>"You're not asking me, I'm telling you I'm going to do it. Same goes for you, Eren. I offered before to help you with your student loans, now I'm not giving you a choice, I'm taking care of them."</p><p>"It's easier to just give up and let him do it, Armin," Eren said resignedly. "He's in 'overprotective big brother mode now.'"</p><p>"But, Zeke, that's more money than I could ever afford to pay you back...."</p><p>Zeke waved him off. "I'm fine on money, Armin, don't worry about it."</p><p>"Yeah dude, Zeke is a millionaire," Eren said. "He sued the New York Times for defamation after the...stuff happened, won a big settlement with his lawyer friend. Now he owns like 20 Whataburger franchises."</p><p>"17, to be exact," Zeke said proudly. </p><p>"But then why were you living in that...terrible apartment in Chicago, Eren? Why were you going to...."</p><p>"Because I'm stupid, Armin. I'm stupid and I have issues and I wanted to do things without help." Eren said, thunking his head on the table.</p><p>"Don't be so hard on Eren, Armin," Zeke said, "We grew up with a skewed idea of what family means. The important thing is, we're here now, we're all safe, and we'll figure out the rest. Let me call Annie real quick."</p><p>Zeke put his cell phone to his ear.</p><p>"Annie Leonhart, baby, love of my life! How are you, dear?" There was a pause and Zeke cringed. "Well, there's no need for name calling!"</p><p>Zeke covered the receiver and sighed. "Ah, Annie. I'd marry her in a heartbeat if she'd ever give me the time of day."</p><p>"Annie would marry Mikasa in a heartbeat if SHE ever gave HER the time of day," Eren said darkly.</p><p>Five minutes later, Zeke hung up.</p><p>"She'll be by tomorrow. She's going to talk to both of you about your respective situations. Setting Eren up with a press representative (he ignored Eren's outburst of "a WHAT?"), and getting you any documents you might be missing, Armin. Birth certificate, college transcripts, that kind of thing."</p><p>"I really can't thank you enough, Zeke...."</p><p>"Oh, shut up! You're practically family! And you're going to be living here anyway, so its only right."</p><p>That clearly hadn't occurred to Armin, as he looked down at the table and said "Oh."</p><p>"You can sleep in my room, Armin! It'll be just like old times!"</p><p>Armin couldn't help but smile at Eren's enthusiasm.</p><p>"There's one more thing I need to do first before we get too deep into planning my future," Eren said, rolling his eyes at Zeke, "Captain Smith's funeral is in two days, up in Dallas. I need to go."</p><p>"You sure that's a good idea, Eren? There will be a lot of press there."</p><p>"He saved my life, Zeke. He saved everyone on that plane, I owe it to him to be there."</p><p>Zeke sighed. "We'll talk about it with Annie tomorrow. We may need to draft a statement for you to read so you don't get cornered."</p><p>"And I need a suit."</p><p>"Oooh, clothes shopping!"</p><p>"You are the gayest straight man I know, Zeke."</p><p>Armin just shook his head and laughed. Like old times, indeed.</p><p>******</p><p>"Do you want me to go in with you?" Zeke asked, as the brothers stared at the media circus outside the church where the funeral was to take place.</p><p>"No, that's okay. I have to do SOME stuff on my own, you know."</p><p>"Okay, but if you feel uncomfortable at ANY point, and you want to get out of there, you call me, okay?"</p><p>"I will," Eren said, rolling his eyes.</p><p>"And if anyone gets fresh with you, use that taser I gave you."</p><p>"I'm not tasing anyone at a funeral!"</p><p>"I'm just saying, if Anderson Cooper shows up...."</p><p>"Anderson Cooper is nice! It was Wolf Blitzer that we wanted to tase, remember?"</p><p>"The one with a face that looks like he dipped it in coconut shavings?"</p><p>"That's the one."</p><p>"Ugh, I HATE that guy."</p><p>"Okay, well, I'm getting out now."</p><p>Eren felt really weird as he made his way down the sidewalk towards the church. Fortunately, nobody seemed to recognize him as he pushed his way through the reporters and cameramen stationed outside.</p><p>An usher in a suit stopped him at the door. "Can I see your invitation please?" </p><p>"Oh! Umm...." Eren hadn't realized it would be a private ceremony, though he should have expected it considering the chaos out here.</p><p>"Don't be silly! He's with us!" a voice called out from behind. Eren turned around to see the flight attendant from the plane, Petra. She hugged him.</p><p>"I'm glad you made it, Eren. I wanted to thank you in person, you know."</p><p>"Oh, that's not..."</p><p>"You remember Gunther, right?"</p><p>Eren shook hands with the man he recognized as the Air Marshal from the plane. </p><p>"Don't mind him, he's a little grumpy because they took his gun away," Petra continued. </p><p>"Standard procedure," Gunther said. "Although, I'm just saying, if I was armed, these reporters would leave me alone, goddamnit."</p><p>"I have a taser, would you like to borrow it?" Eren said helpfully.</p><p>Everyone laughed. </p><p>"I like this kid!" a woman he didn't recognize said. "Hi Eren, I'm Hanji."</p><p>Eren waved. The last woman in the group stepped forward. "Hello, Eren."</p><p>Eren knew that voice. "Rico?" he said. She smiled at him, and he hugged the air traffic controller.</p><p>"It's nice to put a face to the voice," Eren said. </p><p>"Well, now that I've collected the last of my little lost ducklings, shall we head inside?" Hanji said. </p><p>******</p><p>Hanji, it turned out, had taken it upon herself to escort the people that had been with Erwin on his last flight to the funeral, and seated them in the row behind the ones reserved for close friends and family. Eren sat next to Captain Zachary, who asked him how he was doing. They'd been talking regularly over the phone, and Zachary was supportive of Eren's decision to retain the services of an attorney to look after his interests. </p><p>"The press agent is a good idea too. Once the NTSB and the FBI release their preliminary report in a week or so, you're going to be inundated with requests for interviews and public appearances."</p><p>Eren wasn't looking forward to that. This was the first time he'd been in public since he'd left the hospital. He still associated press with the horrible things that had happened to him after his father's crime. </p><p>"What makes a man a hero?" the pastor said at the lectern. "It is his actions that tell the tale. We are gathered here today to remember and to honor a man whose actions demonstrated his credentials as a hero, not just on the last day of his life, but in countless days before that.</p><p>Erwin Smith was already a hero before his last day on Earth. A dedicated, professional airline captain whose care for his coworkers and the passengers he flew was matched only by the love he shared with his friends and family, particularly his loving husband, Levi.</p><p>On his last flight, when faced with a situation no one ever should have to face, Erwin reacted without thought to himself, only to the passengers under his care..."</p><p>Eren was transported back, not to the cockpit, but in the departure lounge, sitting next to the huge blonde airline captain that he was almost positive was flirting with him. He seemed so confident, so....happy with his life. So many people were alive today because of what he did. Eren's life had been saved in more ways than one, he hadn't just avoided death in a fiery airline disaster, but even before that, he'd renewed his hope of being alive in the first place. It didn't seem fair that Erwin was gone. He was the one that deserved to be celebrated, not Eren.</p><p>******</p><p>Levi stood alone at the side of the casket as the receiving line worked its way through. That was something he was going to have to get used to, being alone. Levi was still numb to the whole thing, keeping himself busy with funeral preparations and other sundry details. He knew he was close to breaking down, but refused to do it until after Erwin was buried. He owed his husband that much.</p><p>He wasn't surprised to see Eren there, he knew Hanji had corralled everyone who'd been with or talked to Erwin on that fateful flight here. He WAS surprised to see him crying though. He'd only known Erwin for one day.</p><p>"Thank you for coming, Eren," Levi said when Eren reached him. </p><p>"Of course. I'm really sorry, Levi," Eren said, his eyes glistening. Surprising himself, Levi reached out and gripped Eren's shoulder. </p><p>"You take care of yourself, alright? Do what Erwin told you to do, he would have liked that."</p><p>Eren nodded. "You take care of yourself too, Levi." </p><p>Levi was conflicted about whether he ever wanted to see the boy again. On the one hand, just seeing him was bound to bring up painful memories, perhaps worse so than seeing Petra or anyone else involved that day. On the other hand, Eren felt like the last chance Levi had to be close to his husband. Eren was the last person that Erwin had really talked to, or touched. Erwin had desired him, and so Levi did too, in a way that was probably not healthy.</p><p>But, it didn't matter anyway. Eren was going to go on and live his life, while Levi would be left to pick up the shattered pieces of his, and in all likelihood, he'd never see him again.</p>
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<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>ONE YEAR LATER</p><p>Historia Reiss leaned back into her chair at the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, stretching her back out with a loud crack. One of the things they don't tell you about being President of the United States is the sheer amount of paperwork involved in the whole thing, and she was currently looking through a briefing about economics that was important but also extremely boring. With a sigh, she flopped the paper down on the desk and decided to give it up for awhile.</p><p>As though sensing her discontent, the door opened and in walked her Chief of Staff, Ymir.</p><p>"Madame President, the Director of the FBI is here for his appointment."</p><p>"Oh good, send him in. Whatever he's got to say is bound to be more interesting than this damn thing," she said, gesturing at the paper in front of her.</p><p>Ymir chuckled. "The Commerce Secretary will be disappointed to hear you think his work is boring."</p><p>Historia scoffed. "As if he wrote that himself. Besides, I appointed him to run Commerce so I don't have to. He can make his own damn decisions without asking me for permission all the time. Now send in the FBI Director, please."</p><p>Ymir smiled at her and walked out of the office. Historia couldn't help but admire the view as she left. God, what an ass. Historia had realized months ago that she had a thing for her Chief of Staff, but was determined to wait until she was out of office before doing anything about it. It was hard enough being the first woman and the first openly gay person elected President, and the first unmarried President in almost 200 years, without adding tabloid fodder to it. Still, she was certainly allowed to fantasize in the safety of her own head. Mostly about that ass, because...damn.</p><p>Historia quickly got her mind out of the gutter as Ymir came back in, this time followed by the Director of the FBI and another agent that Historia didn't know. She came out from behind her desk.</p><p>"Mr. Director, how are you?" she said, smiling and holding out her hand for him to shake.</p><p>"I am well, Madame President, how about yourself?"</p><p>She sighed dramatically. "Oh you know, just trying to figure out how to politely informed our esteemed Commerce Secretary that he doesn't need to send me a memo every time he buys a new stapler."</p><p>The Director chuckled. "Well, you know, he used to be an IRS agent. Maybe it's just hard wired into their DNA."</p><p>Historia laughed. "And who have you brought with you today?"</p><p>"This is Agent Hannes. He's here to help me brief you on our findings on the attempted hijacking of TNA 845 last year."</p><p>Historia shook Hannes' hand. "Let's sit, gentlemen. Coffee?"</p><p>Once they were all situated, Historia said "Alright, what do you have for me?"</p><p>"Well, first off, the official conclusion we're going with is that the First Officer on TNA Flight 845, Jean Kirschtein, committed the attempted hijacking alone, he wasn't assisted by anyone and had no known links to any terrorist or criminal organizations."</p><p>"What was his motive then?"</p><p>"It seems FO Kirschstein was under a lot of stress. He'd previously been suspended by TNA after some public outbursts and sent to anger management counseling. He was also known to have bitter disagreements with his supervisors about flight assignments. But we believe what sent him over the edge was a mental health evaluation given by the airline to all its pilots a month before the incident. FO Kirschstein's evaluation suggested some previously undiagnosed mental illness, possibly bipolar disorder. If further testing proved that to be the case, he'd likely have lost his job, because the medication required to treat his condition would have prohibited him from flying under FAA regulations."</p><p>"Why was he still flying then?"</p><p>"He was still on duty pending an appeal by the union, which was to be heard the day after the incident flight."</p><p>"So, what? He decided he was going to take revenge on the airline for firing him and crash the plane?"</p><p>"Yes, exactly. You could hear on the cockpit voice recorder during his struggle with Captain Smith, he said 'They said I was crazy, I'm going to show them what crazy is.'"</p><p>Historia repressed a shiver. "How did he get the gun on board, then?"</p><p>Agent Hannes took over. "Security footage showed that his flight bag went through security without going through the metal detector like it was supposed to. We detained a TSA agent at O'Hare and he confessed to accepting a bribe from FO Kirschstein to keep his bag from being inspected."</p><p>"Jesus Christ. It must have been some bribe."</p><p>"The man was horrified, to be honest, ma'am. He believed the First officer was carrying drugs or some other kind of contraband, Kirschstein said something to that effect to him."</p><p>Historia rubbed her head in exasperation. "All the money we put into airline security, and all it takes is one clown with idiotic tendencies for something like this to happen."</p><p>"Yes ma'am. We're lucky things turned out the way they did and weren't much worse. Kirschstein came very close to crashing that plane and killing everyone on board. Captain Smith and Air Marshal Schultz both acted heroically. The whole flight crew did, really."</p><p>"Including the kid who landed the plane?" Historia said wryly.</p><p>The Director smiled. "Yes, including Eren Yeager." They all watched TV, they knew how much media coverage had focused on the civilian who'd landed the plane after Captain Smith had been paralyzed.</p><p>"We actually wanted to talk to you about him, Madame President."</p><p>"Oh? What is it? Did something come up in his background check?"</p><p>She had asked the FBI to vet the backgrounds of the flight crew, plus Eren, ahead of awarding them the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country's highest civilian decoration.</p><p>"Well, yes, ma'am. Nothing bad about him, but...well, I'll let Agent Hannes explain."</p><p>Agent Hannes cleared his throat, looking uncomfortable.</p><p>"Madame President, when I was going through research on Eren Yeager's background, I found that he'd been flagged as a potential security risk. The flag had been there since Grisha Yeager attempted to assassinate President Pixis 10 years ago."</p><p>She nodded, remembering the happily married with two children doctor who had tried to shoot the President at a fundraising dinner. A Secret Service agent had jumped in front of the bullet, and Yeager had killed another agent before being shot dead. Hang on...ten years ago, that would mean....</p><p>"Wouldn't Eren Yeager have been like 12 years old when that happened? How could he have been considered a security risk?"</p><p>The Director spoke next. "I spoke to my predecessor. All three members of the family were flagged. It was supposed to be temporary, while they investigated the assassination attempt. But, it seems after Carla Yeager refused to accept the results of the investigation and continued to accuse the government of framing her husband in the media....well, it seems the decision was made to leave the flags on their files permanently."</p><p>There was a heartbeat of silence.</p><p>"On his children? Who had nothing to do with the assassination attempt?"</p><p>"Yes ma'am."</p><p>"Okay, back up a second. What exactly would being flagged as a security risk affect a person's everyday life?"</p><p>"Well, just for Eren, he was denied financial aid he would have otherwise been entitled to. He was forced to take out expensive private student loans at inflated interest rates because he was considered a high risk borrower. And he had trouble holding down a job or passing a criminal background check. I found multiple occasions where he was fired from a job because his background check came back flagged and they accused him of lying about having a criminal record. We hadn't even looked into Zeke Yeager's background, but I'm guessing we'll find similar difficulties."</p><p>Historia found herself clenching her fists in her lap. "Who the hell would do something like that? And why?"</p><p>"Madame President, we believe the order came from President Pixis himself. We don't know why."</p><p>"I can tell you why! I've met the man! He did it out of pure spite!" Historia said bitterly. "He's lucky he died last year so I can't drag him in front of a Congressional inquiry! Dumping this shit in my lap, the bald asshole. Who else is implicated in this?"</p><p>"Well my predecessor, obviously. He got his orders to do it directly from the Attorney General."</p><p>It took a second for that to sink in, but when it did....</p><p>"Are you telling me Nile Dok did this?" she asked, quietly.</p><p>"Yes ma'am. We have an email he sent to his FBI Director ordering him to leave the flags in place until ordered otherwise. That's as high up the chain as the paper trail goes."</p><p>The two FBI men waited quietly while the President stood up and started pacing. They weren't political appointees beholden to a party, but they weren't idiots, either. They both knew full well that Nile Dok was the opposition's candidate for President in that November's election, and that they had just handed the President the means to destroy him.</p><p>Finally, she stopped pacing. "Thank you gentlemen, for your hard work. I trust your office will have a press briefing about this in the morning?"</p><p>"Yes, Madame President."</p><p>"Very good. We'll let Congress have the ball after that, but start vetting candidates for a special counsel to investigate this, Mr. Director. Whoever you pick needs to work fast, the election is less than six months away."</p><p>"Yes, Madame President."</p><p>She shook their hands again and they left. Historia went back to her desk, grinning like the Chesire Cat. Ymir came back in.</p><p>"Productive meeting?" she asked, with a smile.</p><p>"Yes, very. Do me a favor, Ymir, and get me that kid from downstairs, Jerry I think his name is, the one we used as an unnamed source in the Washington Post a while back."</p><p>"Right away, ma'am."</p><p>Historia leaned back in her chair, thanking God above for Eren Yeager. She was going to pamper that boy like a long lost son, because he was going to singlehandedly deliver her a second term as President.</p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey guys! I've spent most of my writing time developing my Harry Potter story on here, which you should all totally read, by the way, cause it's my baby. But all the kind comments I've received on this baby inspired me to pick this one back up too! So here we are, proof that positive reinforcement works!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>What a year it had been for Eren Yeager. At first, things were kind of quiet, as Eren holed up in the apartment Zeke had rented for him and Armin in Austin, while Armin went to school. Mikasa was happy with the arrangement and spent a lot of time with her two old friends. Annie, Zeke's angry looking lawyer friend, had decided it would be best to let things settle down a bit before Eren would start doing press interviews. Captain Zackary agreed. </p><p>But then, things started picking up. He'd done a few late night talk shows, Trevor Noah, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel. He'd sat down with Barbara Walters for 60 Minutes. And just as Captain Zackary predicted, he'd guest hosted Saturday Night Live. They had him doing a bit where he came in to try and save the day in other situations, claiming to be able to drive, among other things, a nuclear submarine, a race car, and the International Space Station. It was a lot of fun, and Tom Hanks was REALLY nice.</p><p>Then, it seemed like everyone wanted him. He found himself throwing out the first pitch at the World Series. The Texas Legislature proclaimed an "Eren Yeager Day", the governor invited him to dinner, and the Texas Rangers presented him with an honorary badge and cowboy hat. He was getting letters from people all over the country, some with money, others with marriage proposals (those seemed to only increase in frequency after the 60 Minutes interview, when he told Barbara he was gay, much to his consternation), and one guy that wanted a sample of his hair so he could try and clone him. </p><p>Then there was the NTSB official inquiry three months ago. He'd gone to Washington to appear before a panel and explain in a formal setting what he'd done. He'd watched some of these before on TV, but he'd never seen the room give someone a standing ovation to a person the way they did to him when he got up to leave. Even the panelists participated. </p><p>While all this was going on, Eren was in Texas National Airlines' flight training program in Austin. He'd gotten a lot of job offers, but wanted to stay in Texas, and figured he owed it to Erwin's memory to give his airline a shot. Besides, learning how to drive the Airbus he'd flown so successfully into Little Rock should have been easy for him, right?</p><p>Well, not exactly. If it had been, he wouldn't currently be sitting in an aviation psychologist's office.</p><p>"So, Eren, tell me what happened," Dr. Berner said.</p><p>"You KNOW why I'm here," Eren said grumpily, his arms folded. </p><p>"I want you to explain it in your own words."</p><p>"Fine, fine. I'm here because my instructor said I 'freaked out' when I came in for a landing on the trainer jet the other day. Which is bullshit! I had that landing, we would have been fine."</p><p>"More specifically you're here because your instructor told me this is the third time you've, to use your words, 'freaked out' while on approach for landing in the training jet."</p><p>"Okay, I'll admit the first time I froze up. But the other two times I was fine! The guy is getting bent out of shape over nothing."</p><p>"When you froze up the first time, what were you thinking about?"</p><p>Eren huffed, refusing to meet Dr. Berner's eyes. "I was thinking about 845, alright? Is that what you guys wanted to hear from me? It all came back, from the smell of blood and gunpowder to the sensation of pissing in my pants! But that was ONE time, I've got it under control!"</p><p>"So, the other two times you came in for a landing in the Airbus, you weren't thinking about 845?"</p><p>"I defy you to go through something like that and NOT think about it."</p><p>"I imagine it would be tough not to think about it."</p><p>Eren sighed and flopped back onto the couch. His brother had accused him of being prone to overdramatics, but his brother wasn't here.</p><p>"I know what this is, you all want to prove I'm some kind of head case so you can take my wings away. If they're going to fire me, I wish they'd just do it instead of playing this silly game first."</p><p>Now it was Dr. Berner's turn to sigh. "Eren, this is not about taking your wings away, and this has nothing to do with your father."</p><p>Eren sat up. "Bullshit! Everything in my life the last ten years has revolved around my father! When people look at me, they see him, they see what he did! And then they turn away. They find reasons to make me go away so they don't have to be reminded of how ugly life can get."</p><p>"You don't think that's changed over the past year? With all the attention on you because of 845? People have a high opinion of you now, don't you think?"</p><p>"That's obviously worn off," Eren scoffed, waving his arm around, "I'm in here, aren't I? They brought Jean Kirstein into a doctor's office like this, and then he became a murderer."</p><p>"Are you worried about that? Becoming like Jean?"</p><p>"No, of course not. I....I don't want to hurt anyone. I never have, not even when people were so cruel to us after my father did what he did."</p><p>"What about hurting yourself?"</p><p>"Maybe once, when I was a teenager. But no, I don't have suicidal thoughts, or thoughts of hurting myself Doctor. Now just give me whatever prescription you were going to give me that will keep me grounded and send me on my way, would you?"</p><p>Dr. Berner chuckled. "You have a serious lack of trust in your fellow man, Eren."</p><p>Eren gave him a sour look. "I wonder why THAT could be, Doc."</p><p>"Fair enough. But we can deal with that later. For right now, what I AM diagnosing you with is post traumatic stress, Eren. Your body is having a physical reaction to stimuli similar to the traumatic situation you faced when piloting Flight 845. It happens to plenty of people, it's certainly nothing to be ashamed of."</p><p>"But it means I can't fly, right? Since I'm obviously a danger to the passengers if I start freaking out while on approach?"</p><p>"Not necessarily. I think what we need to do is to get you in a different airframe."</p><p>Eren wasn't expecting THAT. "I'm sorry, what?"</p><p>"Looking at your records, you do fine landing in a simulator, and you've landed smaller live planes fine in the past year, I think the problem is the specific cockpit configuration of the Airbus. It IS the same airframe as Flight 845, after all. Particularly the sidestick controller."</p><p>"So what then? Flying some puddle jumping prop plane?"</p><p>"What about a 747?"</p><p>Eren paused. "A Boeing 747? Do airlines still fly those, that plane is like 50 years old!"</p><p>"They're still manufacturing new ones up in Washington, actually. Mostly cargo planes, but a few carriers still use them for passenger flights. Southeastern has a flight school for the 747 program up in Dallas, I can get you in there if you're interested."</p><p>"How are you going to do that?" Eren asked curiously.</p><p>"Well, considering that you're the big hero of the aviation world, it shouldn't be too hard to find you a spot. Besides, I can always ask my wife, she's a 747 captain for Southeastern."</p><p>He turned a photograph on his desk around to show Eren, who narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the smiling woman looking back at him.</p><p>"When were you going to tell me that you were married to Hange Zoe, Doctor?"</p><p>"When it seemed relevant. So, right now basically."</p><p>Eren flopped back on the couch again with a groan.</p><p>******</p><p>"I'm home," Eren said grumpily when he came through the door.</p><p>"Uh oh, did the doctor visit not go well?" Armin said, looking up from his book.</p><p>"Ugh," Eren said, flopping down onto the couch with what he hoped was an appropriate amount of disdain. "I have post traumatic stress, apparently. It triggers when I'm trying to land the Airbus, and I freak out."</p><p>"Okay," Armin said, looking at him, "how does he want to fix it?"</p><p>"By having me fly a different plane," Eren said, rolling his eyes. "He set this shit up with Zackary from the beginning, I have to move to Dallas to fly 747s and they think that will allow me to advance my piloting career. Otherwise...."</p><p>He drew his hand across his throat.</p><p>"So you're going to Dallas then?"</p><p>"I don't know, Armin, I...I don't want to leave you here alone."</p><p>"Well that's a stupid thing to worry about," Armin said matter of factly. He held his hand up as Eren started to protest and continued, "Just ask me to come with you."</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"I'm serious! I'm getting ready to graduate, we can go up to Dallas together! I'll find a job up there, it's as big a city as Austin is, bigger actually. And you'll get to be a pilot, which is what you want! Everyone wins!"</p><p>"Armin....you've already followed me all over the state, it's not fair of me to ask you to keep doing it."</p><p>Armin stared at him for a few seconds, his mouth set into a line. Then he said, in a deadly serious voice, "Eren. Ask me. To come with you."</p><p>There was something in Armin's eyes that Eren hadn't seen before. Or maybe he had and didn't notice. But he noticed now. And there was only one correct sentence for him to say next.</p><p>"Armin, please come with me to Dallas."</p><p>And then Armin was surging forward and kissing Eren full on the mouth, and Eren was so surprised he opened his mouth, and Armin stuck his tongue inside, and then it felt so good Eren didn't bother to feel surprised anymore, he just went with it.</p><p>Finally, after a long moment, they broke apart, staring at each other and panting.</p><p>"I've wanted to do that for so long," Armin gasped, grinning, "You have no idea, Eren. I would follow you anywhere if it meant I could do that whenever I wanted."</p><p>All the tender feelings Eren had in his heart for his best friend melted into a gushy puddle of need, of want. He grinned back.</p><p>"Do you want to do it again right now?"</p><p>Armin nodded, and then he went back in.</p><p>The next day, Eren called Captain Zackary, and told him he'd be happy to move to Dallas, as long as his boyfriend could come with him. Zackary said that could definitely be arranged.</p>
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